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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS,!! 

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tINITED STATES OF AMERICA. !l 



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INTERNAL EVIDENCES 



CHRISTIANITY 



DEDUCED FROM 



PHRENOLOGY. 



By JOHN EPPS, M. D., 

Member of the Edinburgh Phrenological Society ; Member of the 
Anthropological Society ; Lecturer on Chemistry, Materia Medica, 
and Botany, at the Westminster Dispensary ; President of the 
Finsbury Discussion Society ; Honorary Member of the Liverpool 
Mechanics Institution, &c. &c 



WITH A PREFACE AND NOTES 

BY 

JOSEPH A. WARNE, A.M. 



BOSTON : 

PUBLISHED BY WILLIAM PEIRCE. 
1837. 






Entered, according to act of Congress, in the year 1837, by William 
Peirce, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Dis- 
trict of Massachusetts. 



Cambridge Press . 
Metcalf, Torry, and Ballon. 



NOTICE TO THE SECOND EDITION. 



The first edition of this work was pub- 
lished in Edinburgh, in the year 1827. 
I was at that time pursuing my medical 
studies in the University of Edinburgh, 
and was twenty-one years of age. It was 
published under the title, " Internal 
Evidences of Christianity deduced from 
Phrenology, by Medictts, Member of the 
Edinburgh Phrenological Society." I 
need not mention the organs that were 
active in making me use Medicus instead 
of my own name. 

These particulars regarding myself, I 
record not from any desire to write about 
myself, but merely to form a preface to 
the following remarks, that I have not, on 
reperusing the work, found any reason to 
alter any essential part of the work, either 
in reference to the arguments or the illus- 
trations. 

This may appear strange to many ; it 
did at first sight to myself. Considering 
the great variety of views that must pass 
before the mind, in the period of life the 
most critical of all, at least to a profes- 



IV 



sional man, from twenty-one to thirty- 
one; considering the great influence of 
circumstances which must occur during 
such a period, and considering the expan- 
sion of views that a period of nine years 
must produce in any person who is not 
cased in prejudice, I thought that in re- 
perusing the work, I should find some 
change. I have not ; and this appears to 
me a strong evidence of the clearness of 
view which Phrenology affords to those 
who cultivate acquaintance w T ith its de- 
tails. 

I feel no inconsiderable pleasure in 
presenting this second edition to the pub- 
lic, more particularly as I believe that 
/ was the first who directed Phrenology.. 
into the channel of bearing testimony to 
the truth of Christianity ; and, also, be- 
cause I know that this book has been 
earnestly sought after by many, and that 
it will be reprinted in America as soon as 
the sheets arrive in that country. 

Wishing you, reader, the "same pleasure 
in perusing that I had in writing, 

I remain your obedient servant, 

JOHN EPPS, M.D. 

London, February 15, 1836. 



EDITOR'S PREFACE. 



The fears of the religious, among men, 
and the desires and hopes of the irreli- 
gious, operate unitedly to prevent the 
progress of truth. The former dread the 
introduction of anything new, lest it 
should unsettle the foundations of reli- 
gious faith; for these fears are, often, not 
sufficiently enlightened to perceive, that 
all truths are in harmony ; and that, there- 
fore, a newly discovered truth cannot, 
really, be inimical to those of more ancient 
date, nor incompatible with them. The 
latter are ill at ease in their irreligion, 
because they are not assured of its safety ; 
and these desire the disproof of the pre- 
tensions of real religion, and welcome 



VI 

almost every novelty, having a bearing on 
religion and morality, in the hope that 
they may be shown to have no claim on 
the regards of mankind. 

It was thus that the discoveries of Gali- 
leo, relative to the true system of Astron- 
omy, operated. The unenlightened reli- 
gious fears of his contemporaries were 
alarmed ; and his judges determined that 
his doctrines were heretical, false, and 
absurd, being contrary to the express 
language of Holy Scripture. But the 
irreligious of his day, and indeed of every 
period since, have been ready, (at least 
the more enlightened of them,) to believe 
his doctrines true, because they supposed, 
that if this were admitted, the earth 
would be reduced to so mere a speck 
in creation, that it would derogate from 
the dignity of the Creator, to suppose him 
so to regard it, and the interests of its 
inhabitants, as the Volume of Revelation 
declares that he does; — they seem to 



VI 1 

have supposed that the Copernican Sys- 
tem of Astronomy being the true one, it 
follows that men are the inhabitants of 
" a forsaken and fatherless world." More 
perfect knowledge, however, has shown 
to investigators, both religious and irre- 
ligious, that their fears and hopes were, 
alike, unfounded ; and that there is no 
discordance between the discoveries of 
astronomical science and the disclosures 
of the Christian Revelation. 

The same fears and hopes prevailed, 
though in somewhat different classes of 
persons, relative to the effects to be pro- 
duced, on the prevalent orthodox Chris- 
tianity, by the labors of the German 
critics : — critics, that is, of the Rational 
School. They had brought a prodigious 
amount of unsanctified learning and tal- 
ent to the investigation of the Sacred 
volume ; in some respects, perhaps, they 
had disabused the confidence of men, as 
to the true import of passages, supposed 



Vlll 



to be of vital importance to the establish- 
ment of Orthodox opinions, and hastily 
presumed that Exegesis was destined to 
effect the overthrow of evangelical reli- 
gion. Spirits, kindred to those of the 
Rationalists, — not in vigor or attain- 
ments, but in irreligion and self-compla- 
cent pretensions, — both in this country, 
and in England, caught the echoes of this 
faintly expressed presumption, and swell- 
ed them into a paean of premature praise 
of Exegesis, as the annihilator of Ortho- 
doxy. 

So strong was the confidence they felt, 
or, at least, so unhesitating was the ex- 
pression of it, that the friends of Evan- 
gelical Religion were, in a measure, stun- 
ned and bewildered. They were, per- 
haps, secretly afraid of Exegetical interr 
pretation ; and approached it tremblingly. 
They were, however, somewhat embolden- 
ed, by the discovery, that there were 
certain, among the German critics them- 



IX 

selves, who held fast their evangelical 
opinions ; and contended that a sound 
exegesis was friendly to evangelical 
truth. 

Much time had not elapsed, before it 
was discovered that exegesis furnished 
weapons for the war in behalf of truth ; 
and she thus came to be hailed as an ally, 
instead of being hated as a foe. The 
lion was bearded in his den, and the des 
tined prey plucked from between his 
teeth. In testimony of this, the very 
names of Heno;stenburg, Hug, Xeander, 
and Tholuck are sufficient. At the pres- 
ent time, therefore, in all our theological 
institutions, Sacred Criticism receives a 
very large portion of attention; and the 
principal ground for apprehension appears 
to be, lest our ministers, in their confi- 
dence in the power of theological learning, 
to lead them into the signification of the 
Sacred Oracles, should overlook the indis- 
pensableness of Divine illumination, in 
b 



order to their understanding what is the 
mind of the Spirit. 

Fears and hopes have, in like manner, 
divided almost all who have given a little 
attention to the science of Phrenology. 
The irreligious have hoped to find it true ; 
because they concluded, that, this being 
once established, it would follow that man 
was only material and mortal ; and that, 
of course, the revelations of the Volume 
of Inspiration were fictions, and fit only 
to delude and frighten children and idiots. 
The religious, on the contrary, taking it 
for granted that such (of the opposite 
class) as cherished the hopes just express- 
ed, were correctly informed of the nature 
and tendencies of the science, were afraid 
to examine it for themselves. They knew 
that Revelation was of God; and hearing, 
from those, whom they supposed fully 
acquainted with the subject, that Phre- 
nology was at variance with Revelation, 
they joined in the hue and cry — " Fatal- 



XI 

ism, Materialism/' &c. — regarding Phre- 
nology as the natural enemy of Christian- 
ity. 

So loud and clamorous was the outcry, 
that a very long period elapsed before 
Christians, whose "law condemns no man 
before it hears him," who are commanded 
to " prove all things, and hold fast that 
which is good," would even allow Phre- 
nology to plead her cause at the tribunal 
of their judgment. After a while, how- 
ever, her advocates appeared. In 1824 
the publication of the u Edinburgh Phre- 
nological Journal" was commenced; and, 
some of the Scottish Phrenologists being 
evangelical Christians, its pages soon be- 
gan to reply to the accusations respecting 
the tendencies of Phrenology. It was 
shown that Phrenology leaves Materialism 
exactly where it was, before the existence 
of Phrenology ; and that, as regards 
Fatalism, supposing the doctrines of Phre- 
nology to be true, it does not inflict ne- 



Xll 



cessity of action, nor destroy the doctrine 
of accountability. Some writers in that 
journal even went so far as to analyze, 
phrenologically, some fundamental doc- 
trines of revealed religion ; especially 
that of Regeneration ; and thus to prove 
that Phrenology is not inimical to Reli- 
gion. 

About the year 1826 the writer of the 
following work, then quite a young man, 
but a well instructed phrenologist, and 
withal, an intelligent and devoted Chris- 
tian, ventured to appear before the public, 
in an independent work, entitled, " Inter- 
nal Evidences of Christianity deduced 
from Phrenology." He appears to have 
been the first to perceive, or at least to 
declare, that Phrenology, so far from hos- 
tility to religion, casts an aspect of friend- 
liness towards it ; and that weapons, in 
defence of religion, may be borrowed 
from the arsenal of Phrenology. It is 
somewhat strange, that the first edition 



Xlll 

of that work never found its way to this 
country; — nor was even its title known, 
until another work of the author was re- 
published here, (Horas Phrenologicae,) in 
which a reference is made to it. The 
publication of the last mentioned work 
was the occasion of a correspondence 
being commenced, between the Author of 
this work and the Editor ; the conse- 
quence of which was, the transmission of 
the proofs of a new edition of the work 
for publication. 

The first work published in this coun- 
try, distinctly recognising both Phrenolo- 
gy, and the distinguishing peculiarities 
of evangelical religion, was the "Horse 
Phrenologicee" of Dr. Epps. He stands, 
therefore, so far as the writer knows, the 
first man in both the old and new worlds, 
who, in a separate work, brings Phrenolo- 
gy and Religion, at once, into view. 

But his Horse Phrenologicae has been 
scarcely read at all ; at least, by the evan- 
61 



XIV 

gelical portion of the community, for the 
following reason. The sentiments of the 
author do not appear alone: — Notes, at 
variance with the very foundations of 
evangelical religion, have been added, by 
the American Editor ; w T hose name has 
operated with such persons, (I say not 
how justly,) to prevent the perusal of the 
work ; and it is, to this day, generally 
unknown, that so evangelical a phreno- 
logical work exists. It is hoped, how- 
ever, that, at no distant period, it may 
appear from the American press, totally 
free from any admixture; or, at least, 
from any which w T ill contravene the au- 
thor's views. 

Soon after the publication of the " Hora 
Phrenologies," an enlarged edition of 
Mr. George Combe's work, on " The Con- 
stitution of Man," was issued from the 
press ; with an additional chapter, " On 
the Harmony between Phrenology and 
Revelation." Of this chapter no notice 



XV 

would here be taken, were it not that the 
writer is desirous of expressing the pleas- 
ure it affords him, to find that the views 
expressed in it, so exactly harmonize with 
those given by Dr. Epps in the following 
work. It is true, that the field laid out by 
Dr. Epps is more general, than that pre- 
sented in the chapter appended to the 
" Constitution of Man 5 " but an attentive 
perusal of both will convince the reader, 
that, in so far as Dr. Epps has directed 
his remarks, specifically, to the subject of 
that chapter, there is perfect harmony, at 
least, not to say perfect coincidence of 
views. This coincidence is especially 
gratifying to the writer, not merely (nor 
chiefly) because he finds himself in so 
good company; (though he will not pre- 
tend to be insensible to gratification from 
this source;) but because the indepen- 
dent views of two writers, who had never 
corresponded, but who, both, were famil- 
iar with the two subjects, Phrenology and 
62 



XVI 

Christianity, are found exactly to agree ; 
and thus, in the fact of their agreement, 
to furnish an evidence of the truth of the 
position which each, separately, labored 
to establish ; for it is a law of evidence 
that the agreement of two or more inde- 
pendent witnesses confirms the truth, to 
which they testify, in a much greater 
degree, than that in which their numbers 
are increased. * 

But it may perhaps be said, if the harmo- 
ny of Phrenology with Religion be estab- 
lished, in a work already before the 
public, land if this subject comes into 
prominence in Dr. Epps's new work, why 
introduce that to the notice of the world ? 
Is it not a work of supererogation ? 

We answer, it is not. In the first place, 
the subject of the following work is more 
general, and comprehensive, than that of 
the additional chapter in Combe. And, 

* Gambier's Moral Evidence. 



XVII 

secondly, the work of Dr. Epps is valua- 
ble, for its able supply of what was want- 
ing, on the subject of Internal Evidences 
of Christianity. What was wanting, he 
has clearly show r n, in his own Introduc- 
tion, and therefore it need not be repeat- 
ed here. It may suffice to say, that 
Butler had only rendered pointless the 
dart which infidel objectors shook at the 
heart of Revealed Religion, by showing 
the incomprehensibleness of many opera- 
tions of nature : and though Erskine had 
gone a step farther, even his work on 
Internal Evidences is seen, on examina- 
tion, to be incomplete and unsatisfactory. 
To be complete and conclusive, it must be 
proved, and not assumed, that man is so 
constituted, as that the volume of revela- 
tion is adapted to his nature and condi- 
tion ; and thus, that what is so adapted 
to his nature, must have the same author, 
as that nature itself. To illustrate this 
position ; if, in examining a machine, our 
63 



XV111 



attention is arrested by a female screw, 
our first impression is, that it has a cer- 
tain capacity; that the thread is of a 
certain shape, (square or otherwise,) and 
that it is coiled in a certain direction, and 
at certain regular intervals, &c. Now if, 
in the process of our examination, we 
discover a male screw, which is in all 
respects the exact converse of this, so that 
the worm in the one, exactly fills the 
channel in the other, we are almost com- 
pelled to ascribe the device and construc- 
tion of both to the same mechanician ; 
and to conclude, certainly, that the former 
was intended to receive the latter; be- 
cause it is exactly adapted to it. There is 
"internal evidence 55 in both of adapta- 
tion, each to the other. 

Now this is what Dr. Epps has done. 
He has shown that Phrenology has proved 
human nature to be such, as that it is 
adapted to receive the Christian Revela- 
tion ; and the Christian Revelation he has 



XIX 

shown to be such, as meets all the exigen- 
cies of human nature ; and then concludes, 
as logically as a man would, with relation 
to the two screws, that both human na- 
ture and the Christian Revelation are the 
works of the same divine hand. 

In proving this, he has done a valuable 
service to the cause of truth: for it will 
soon be seen, by those enemies to revela- 
tion who hold the truth of Phrenology, that, 
to be consistent, they must abandon it, or 
embrace Revelation. And, moreover, the 
friends of Revelation will be emboldened 
to examine the pretensions of what is so 
valuable an ally in the war with error ; 
and, wresting the legitimate weapons of 
truth from the hands of the advocates of 
error and irreligion, turn their glittering 
points toward their own bosoms. It is 
the hope that these results may follow, 
which prompts the Editor to present to 
the American public the work on the 
Phrenological Evidences of Christianity ; 



XX 

and he trusts it may be the means of 
hastening the time, when an anticipation 
of the Author shall be realized; that, " in 
a few years, when intellectualized Chris- 
tians shall be more common, such will be 
the diligent use that will be made of 
Phrenology, that infidelity will throw up 
the system, as one which cannot exist in 
coincidence with itself/' — (Preface to 
Horae Phrenologicae.) 

Nor will the rejection of Phrenology be 
confined to avowed infidels : it will prob- 
ably extend to all religionists, whose 
creeds do not correspond with the plain 
and obvious import of the sacred page. 
For, if it shall be found that Phrenology 
establishes the truth of Revelation in its 
plain and obvious meaning ; then those, 
whose creeds are at variance with that 
meaning, will be reduced to the dilemma 
of either embracing that, as its true mean- 
ing, or of rejecting the system which re- 
duces them to this necessity. Which will 



XXI 



be the most likely of the two, will scarce- 
ly be questioned by those, who are ac- 
quainted with the native enmity of the 
human heart to truth and righteousness. 
It will then no longer be said, as it has 
been, and is, even now, sometimes said, 
that the disciples of Phrenology, and 
writers on the science, and even the pub- 
lishers of their works, are " deniers of 
the Lord that bought them ; " and of 
those Eternal Retributions, which he has 
denounced. Such language, even now, 
reflects no credit on either the knowledge 
or the candor of those who employ it 
More extensive knowledge would have 
shown them, that phrenologists and phre- 
nological writers are not all of the char- 
acter above given of them : and more 
christian candor would have prevented 
their condemning the science as unworthy 
of attention, because of the theological 
errors of its votaries. It were scarcely 
philosophical to denounce the Vaccine 



XX11 

Innoculation, because its illustrious dis- 
coverer was a Quaker ; or to disprove the 
Copernican System of Astronomy., from 
the fact, that both its author and its 
reviver, Galileo, were Papists. This, 
surely, is to revive the old, and, we had 
hoped, exploded inquiry, " Can any good 
thing come out of Nazareth ? " and, be- 
fore examining the truth of a system, to 
ask, " Have any of the rulers believed ? " 
The American Public, and the American 
Christian Public, especially, will rather 
ask, Is it true ? and will follow truth 
wherever it may lead; being assured that 
all truth is of God ; and that no truth 
will lead from God. 



CONTENTS. 



PREFACE. 

General Perversion of the Gifts of God — The Christian's 
Duty — Butler's, Erskine's, Chalmers's, Dick's, and 
Douglas's Labors — The Train of Thought giving 
rise to this Dissertation — Difficulties in the way — 
Two Objections considered : first, Phrenology opposed 
to Religion; secondly, Phrenology not advocated by 
great men — Phrenology asserted to be true — Objec- 
tion against this and other applications of this Science 
— Conclusion by an extract from Balguy — Thanks 
expressed to Mr. Sleigh and Mr. Combe. 



Doubts overcome — Necessity of pointing out the Nature 
and Deficiencies of other arguments, in order to show 
the Novelty of the present — Most of the arguments 
reducible into three classes — Their insufficiency — 
Two other arguments — The misapplication of Butler's 
— The defects of Erskine's — Phrenology supplies 
these Deficiencies — Objection, that experience is 
equally good as Phrenological demonstration, consider- 
ed — Three points in which all Religions agree — 



XXIV 

Christianity considered with respect to these may be 
ranged into two grand divisions, forming the founda- 
tions of two separate arguments. 



PART I . 

Argument 1st — General Character of God proved to be 
conformable and approved of by our Faculties — Propo3. 
I. That max is so constituted as to be cox- 
strained TO WORSHIP SOME BEING Tbis, tO 

some persons, self-evident — Opinions of mankind — 
Cicero, Seneca, the Greeks — Two objections urged 
by skeptics against this proposition — First, No cause 
to believe in a Superior Existence — Paley's Natural 
Theology — Deficiency in this argument according to 
the Infidel — Man, no Reason — Difficulties in proving 
he has — Phrenology demonstrates the Point — Second 
objection, That, allowing a Superior Power to exist, no 
reason for worshipping Him — Difficulty to convince 
the Infidel that his explanation of facts is wrong — 
Phrenology sets aside the objection — Nature of Ven- 
eration — Necessity of Directing faculties — Propos. II. 
That man is endowed with certain facul- 
ties ENABLING HIM TO DECIDE UPON THE OB- 
JECT TO BE WORSHIPPED. 

Propos. III. That this must be such as the 

FACULTIES, UNBIASSED, APPROVE OF. 

Propos. IV. That'the God of Christianity is 
the only such being — Faculties demonstrated 



XXV 

by Phrenology — Their language unvarying — Poly- 
theism condemned by them — Also the Grecian and 
Roman Gods — Also the Gods of the Philosophers — 
Also the Gods of the Deists — The God of Christianity 
approved of — Conclusion — That this is the God of our 
Nature. 



PART II. 

Fact, that Men have never Chosen the God of Christiani- 
ty, explained in reference to the Particular Character 
of God, as exhibited in the Means to obtain and Pre- 
serve His Favor. 

Propos. V. That man can do nothing good in 

THE SIGHT OF GOD, AND THAT CHRISTIANITY 

recognises this inability — Some general Ob- 
liquity of sentiment — Alienation of the Mind from 
God — The nature of this Alienation Recognised by 
Christianity — The nature of Virtue as made known 
by Phrenology — Illustrated by Scripture — The 
Striking Nature of the Coincidence — Can do nothing 
Acceptable or Good on account of this Alienation of 
Mind — The Doctrine of Necessity — Term Explain- 
ed — Doctrine established by Phrenology — The bear- 
ings of this Doctrine on the Question. 

Propos. VI. That the means to be employed to 
obtain and preserve God's favor are in 
conformity to the character of man as 
necessarily evil — What needed bv Man — The 



XXVI 

Christian Method of Reconciliation — Belief of a Tes- 
timony; The Effect of this Belief — The Preserving 
of God's Favor ; Motives thereto — Enemies Opposing ; 
The Means for Resistance; Threefold — Himself his 
own Enemy: Enemies Without — 1st, The World — 
Why so — Nature of the Enmity; 2d, The Devil; 
His Character — Means of Resistance threefold — 1st, 
Precepts — Love to Christians — Adhesiveness, its Ef- 
fects — A Christian Church — The Strength gained by 
Communion — Individual Precepts Directing Individ- 
ual Faculties — Remarks on the Nature of the Pre- 
cepts and the Way of Reception — Difficulty, that 
Men have Different Judgments, considered — 2d, Ex- 
ample, its influence; The Faculties it appeals to — 
3d, Rewards and Punishments — Difference between 
Divine and Human Governments — Faculties appealed 
to; the Power of the Combined Means; Contrasted 
with that of Philosophy — Some Examples of their Effi- 
caciousness — Conclusion — Some Concluding Remarks 
on the Necessity of Worshipping with the Intellect — 
On the Importance and Necessity of the Christian ex- 
hibiting the Effects of Belief — The Objection that 
Professing Christians are oftentimes very Bad Men — 
Finally, The Privileges of the Christian in Life but 
particularly in Death. 



PREFACE 



Wisdom, that will be proved in the course of 
the following argument to be divine, has asserted, 
that God made man upright, but he has sought 
out many inventions. These, from the corrup- 
tion of his nature, have, in general, been such 
as to increase the many and oppressive evils 
connected with the fall ; and even those which 
were good in themselves, have, from the sad 
perversity, been turned to evil by their misdi- 
rection. The gifts of Providence, matters quite 
independent of man, have been grossly abused ; 
the means of sustenance to his body he has 
rendered the destroyers of his frame; and those 
intended for the nourishment of his mind have 
been so used as to produce, not a veneration 
1 



for the Author of his understanding, but an 
impious disbelief of that Being's existence ; or, 
if not of that, a disregard for His testimony, 
verifying the truth of another assertion of wis- 
dom, " knowledge puffeth up." In fine, intel- 
lectual and bodily strength have been, are, and, 
it is likely, will be, exerted in ways contrary 
to that relationship in which every man stands 
to God, as the moral Governor of the universe. 
So that the same Being had said with truth, 
" Though I have bound and strengthened their 
arms, yet do they imagine mischief against 
me." Hosea vii. 15. 

In the midst of this general perversion of 
what is good, and of defection from God, the 
Author of good, the Christian is bound to come 
forward, and manfully endeavour, in humble 
dependence upon his Creator, to direct the 
gifts of Providence, and the many useful inven- 
tions and discoveries of man, into proper 
channels; thereby bringing back all matters to 
their source, and making every gift, every in- 
vention, to show forth God's glory. 

Within the last century, as well as in the 
present, many are the powerful intellectual 
energies which have been exercised in deliver- 



ing science from the thraldom of infidelity. 
Many have come forward as champions in this 
good cause ; and many a gauntlet has been 
thrown down by the heroes of truth, which, as 
yet, no skeptic warrior has succeeded in trium- 
phantly raising. Need I instance a Butler, a 
Watson, a Paley, a Sherlock, a Littleton, a 
Wardlaw, a Haldane ; men who have made 
history, natural philosophy, and every branch 
of metaphysical science, so far as consistent 
with truth, speak to the honor and glory of the 
God of nature and of grace ? And, among the 
many laborers in the vineyard of late years, in 
which it may truly be said, " the harvest is 
plenteous," Dick and Douglas hold preeminent 
places ; the former having shown how all true 
science leads to its Author ; the latter, how 
every species of knowledge may be made to 
bear upon the diffusion of the true knowledge 
of God. 

Many of the names mentioned will be recog- 
nised as those of men who have exercised their 
faculties in one of the most important direc- 
tions, namely, in demonstrating the evidences 
of Christianity. Butler has shown the folly of 
disbelieving facts and doctrines, stated in Scrip- 



ture, on the account that we cannot understand 
them, by proving that many of the commonest 
things in nature, perpetually presented to our 
view, and others constantly recognised by con- 
sciousness, are not known, and imperfectly, if 
at all, understood, even by the wisest. Chalmers 
has given us a view of the stable foundations 
on which Christianity, as it regards its external 
evidences, rests ; and, amongst the others, 
Erskine has opened up a new field of investiga- 
tion, in the attempt to demonstrate the truth 
of Christianity by its internal evidences. He 
has, in his own words, " analyzed the compo- 
nent parts of the Christian scheme of doctrine 
with reference to its bearings, both on the 
character of God, and on the character of 
man ; " and this, in order to demonstrate, " that 
its facts not only present an expressive exhibi- 
tion of all the moral qualities which can be 
conceived to reside in the divine mind, but also 
contain all those objects which have a natural 
tendency to excite and suggest in the human 
mind that combination of moral feelings, called 
moral perfection ; and that, as this object is one 
suited to the character of God, the system hav- 
ing this tendency must be of divine origin." 



When reading Erskine, the author of the 
following argument was induced to conclude, 
that another illustrative view of the internal 
evidences of Christianity might be founded 
upon the constitution of the human mind. The 
train of thought, leading to this conclusion, 
was the following : It is with man that relig- 
ion has to do. All the rest of animals, as well 
as all the other parts of creation, show forth, 
by a kind of necessity, the glory of God ; their 
uses, wonderful contrivances, grandeur, vari- 
ety, changes, the peculiar adaptations in their 
constitution to their particular habits, speak a 
silent language of praise to the Creator. But 
man is endowed with a principle, concerning 
the abstract nature of which there has been 
much useless dispute, but which, instead of 
going downwards like that of a beast, rises 
upwards, and finds, as its resting-place, no other 
than the Lord God, the Creator of heaven and 
earth. Man has a mind, and this has been so 
constituted, that God requires its willing and 
joyful exercise in offering to Him a rational 
worship. We find, that when man was first 
created, this was the case. Adam's happiness 
in Eden consisted in the enjoyment of God'f 
1* 



presence, and his pleasure was found in show- 
ing forth his Creator's glory. But this happy 
scene of things soon changed ; man fell — his 
mind became enmity against God: and, instead 
of being directed into the channel of showing 
forth his Maker's glory, ran in the polluted 
stream of evil imaginations, and that only, and 
that continually. But God took pity upon his 
miserable subject, and in the midst of wrath 
at the violation of his covenant by his creature, 
the Creator remembered mercy, and taught the 
rebel man the way of obtaining favor. This 
was gradually unveiled, until the fulness of 
time came, when God sent his Son, made of a 
woman, who delivered to his disciples precepts 
durable for ever, and dictated to his apostles 
those doctrines, exhortations, and admonitions, 
all of which are collected in the New Testa- 
ment, and all the preceding circumstances in 
the Old ; both being comprised in the book 
called, by way of eminence, " The Bible." 
The Bible, then, it appears, contains the way 
by which man can show forth the glory of God, 
by performing with acceptance those duties 
which he owes to his Maker; and provides 
means by which his mind, from the corruption 



of his nature, continually misdirected, may be 
made to run in the channel of obedience to 
God's will, its legitimate direction. To effect 
this grand purpose (for the former is comprised 
within the latter), it is evident that the Bible 
must contain certain motives, having such a 
powerful influence as to lead the mind from one 
track into another, in which they will keep it, 
and, in pursuing which, they cause the renewed 
man to find pleasure. This, we shall discover, 
is the case. Religion, then, is a system of 

MOTIVES, AND THESE ARE, AND MUST BE, SUCH 
AS WILL AFFECT THE HUMAN MIND. If, then, 

we possess a correct knowledge of this mind ; 
if we know its principles, its constituent parts, 
on which the motives act, we shall be enabled 
to deduce thence a series of tests probatory of 
the position, that the Bible is the word of God. 
How we are enabled to do this, depends upon 
the following indisputable conclusion. If the 
Bible comes from God, the Author of our 
being, and if religion is a collection of motives 
acting in a certain way upon the mind, con- 
nected with this being, it is evident that these 
motives must be suited thereto. If we find 
that they, and no others, are suited to produce 



s 



the effects which Christianity recognises, we 
have a right, indeed it is our imperative duty, 
to infer, that the system containing these is 
from the Author of our being. If not suited 
thereto, the contrary inference must be the one 
arrived at. These conclusions admit of no 
dispute, for we may reasonably inquire, " He 
that planteth the ear, shall he not hear ? He 
that formed the eye, shall he not see ? He that 
teacheth man knowledge, shall he not know ? " 
Psalm xciv. 9. 

But here a difficulty presents itself — where 
are we to meet with a correct system of the 
human mind ? Till within these last few years, 
a search for a true system of the human mind 
among the ponderous volumes written upon the 
subject, was as vain as that of the alchymists to 
find out the philosopher's stone. Indeed, all 
the systems of the mind, which have appeared, 
are the results of the endeavours of some men 
of mighty genius to bend the facts, discovered 
by observation, to their peculiar pre-conceived 
notions ; and, having taken these results for 
principles, these individuals have endeavoured 
to reduce all the varied manifestations of the 
mind to them, as their first sources. They 



have seated themselves in the judgment-hall of 
their own consciousness, and have adopted its 
decisions as the laws which regulate mental 
phenomena; forgetting that other minds are not 
constituted as their own, and trying to blot from 
the page of memory, that one well-established 
opposing fact overturns the validity of any sup- 
posed universal law. Of late years, however, a 
system of the human mind has been brought to 
light, the principles of which are dependent upon 
observations, whence, by the Baconian system 
of induction, they have been patiently deduced. 
Such is the phrenological, at least to those who 
believe in it, and to such principally these 
pages are addressed. However, to satisfy the 
scruples of some who have not studied the 
evidences on which Phrenology rests, (which 
indeed, if studied, are sufficient to convince a 
candid mind,) a few remarks will be made in 
reply to some objections which are frequently 
brought forward by good-meaning people ; both 
by those who have a great respect for religion, 
but who have, in some points, a zeal without 
knowledge ; and those who care little about 
things which are not recognised by any whom 
they have been taught to consider " great men." 



10 



An objection frequently made by the former 
class is, that Phrenology is opposed to religion. 
To this, the argument contained in the follow- 
ing pages is a sufficient reply ; and it may, 
with truth, and the kindest feeling, be affirmed, 
that the birth-place of this objection is igno- 
rance. But strange to say, some, when told of 
this application of the science, cried out against 
it with unbecoming vehemence. These people 
seem offended when any thing except the Bible 
testifies to Bible truths. To object to Phre- 
nology, on this account, is equally absurd as to 
object to the works of God, because on the 
page of nature, as well as on that of revelation, 
the attribute of goodness is imprinted. 

Another objection, made by the latter class, 
is, " How is it that so many great men oppose 
Phrenology ? " To this it might be replied, 
that this is no argument against the science ; 
since every man of strong common sense (a 
possession, however, by Juvenal said to be 
very rare) must be aware, that the question 
necessary to be first decided in every inquiry 
is, Is this truth or untruth? It may be re- 
marked, in addition, that a respect for 
authority is one of the greatest obstacles to 



11 

the obtaining of truth. The " ipse dixit " of 
an ancient sage closed the eyes of observa- 
tion for ages. This foolish reverence forbids 
any originality of thought ; indeed, few are 
fond of thinking, and are very happy that 
others are willing to take the trouble out of 
their hands. These people take all things 
upon trust; they obey the dicta of a man 
great respecting literary honors, with as much 
deference as the subjects of the Ottoman 
empire the commands issued by the Caliphate. 
If they who urge this objection be such, and 
it is to be feared they are, it is begged of them 
to deliver themselves from this mental bondage, 
and be free Britons, not only in respect to 
their bodies, but also in relation to their minds. 
The inveteracy of habit must be allowed to 
have an influence on great as well as on little- 
minded men. These persons have been long 
used to one train of thinking. They conse- 
quently find it difficult to adopt another ; and 
as the acquisition of the system of mental 
metaphysics has, it is likely, cost thern much 
labor, their interest and self-esteem, and a 
number of other motives, are roused to refuse 
any aggressor entrance at the gate of their 



12 



mental territory, inveterate habit being the 
door-keeper. No wonder, then, that Phrenol- 
ogy, which threatens to overturn the ancient 
building, reared at first by Aristotle, remod- 
elled by Reid, partially altered again by 
another, daubed over by another, embellished 
by Dugald Stewart, and his admiring followers, 
should be refused admission. In fine, it may 
be inquired of the scientific men, what did 
Galileo and other worthies suffer ? and, to the 
Christian, the question may be applied, what 
was the treatment that the holy and unblamable 
life, and equally holy and unblamable opinions 
of the Saviour met with from the enthusiasti- 
cally zealous Scribes and Pharisees, and from 
the philosophic Sadducees ? 

In the following pages, therefore, Phrenology 
is assumed to be a true system of the human 
mind ; a postulate, which it is believed every 
candid mind, upon a fair investigation of the 
evidence, will be ready to allow. Let it be 
remembered, however, that this is not consid- 
ered by Phrenologists as a postulate, but a 
truth, demonstrable by facts numerous as those 
on which the principles of any other scientific 
system are built. For the Phrenologist will find 



13 

no difficulty in proving that chemistry, botany, 
natural history, or civil sciences, generally be- 
lived in, have not evidences equally numerous 
and indisputable, as grounds on which they are 
established, or considered by their adherents to 
be so. 

These remarks may anticipate an objection, 
which has frequently been made by persons 
ignorant of these evidences, against the appli- 
cation of Phrenology to matters of history, of 
government, of literature, and of mind. They 
think it wrong, that a science, according to 
them not yet established, should be applied to 
these subjects. In order to obviate this objec- 
tion, and to remove the apprehensions of some 
at the following employment of this science in 
relation to Christianity, the truth must be 
stated, that its principles rest upon no other 
foundation than the solid rock of observation. 
These have been accumulating for years, and 
will continue to accumulate, till the human mind 
has for ever ceased its functions ; a period when 
neither Phrenology nor any other human sci- 
ence will any longer be applicable. If, then, 
we were to delay the application of the princi- 
ples of Phrenology till the mighty structure be 
2 



14 



completely reared, we should delay till the end 
of time; for, till that period, the science will 
be receiving accessions. Indeed, the applica- 
tions serve to build the fabric quicker by enab- 
ling its architects to bring supplies from every 
quarry out of which the human mind has worked 
materials ; and the readiness and the neatness, 
with which the matters collected help to form 
the fabric, show that the principles of the 
science agree with those of nature, and its pro- 
fessors to be skilful master builders. Yet some 
people would have the Phrenologists delay. 
These persons, however, do not argue thus 
with respect to other sciences. Chemistry, the 
present system is referred to, has been estab- 
lished but a few years, and yet who refrains 
from applying it? and who objects to the appli- 
cation ? No one ; indeed, the man would be 
reckoned a fool who should say to a chemist, 
" Your science, Sir, is not established ; you 
must not apply it to the illustration of chemical 
phenomena." The objection, that Phrenology 
is applied too far, and in too many ways, is 
often made in a very angry spirit. People 
might as well be angry, that out of twenty-six 
alphabetical letters, many thousand words are 



15 

made ; or that, from seven notes of the gamut, 
such a countless number of sounds should be 
worked. 

Phrenology, as a true system of the human 
mind, will apply to every exhibition of its anti- 
type, and will be useful in every relation in 
which the mind is called into exercise. Con- 
sider its possessor as a child, Phrenology will 
lead to the proper means to be made use of in 
cherishing some, and restraining others, of the 
dispositions and faculties. If we view man as 
a member of a community, this scienee teaches 
what talents he has, and how he can best 
employ them for the common good. And, 
finally, if we behold man as a creature of God, 
a knowledge of Phrenology will enable him to 
examine that historical code which boasts a 
divine origin ; to try whether it deserves this 
high dignity, by investigating whether its doc- 
trines and precepts are accordant with our 
nature. This last and most important applica- 
tion is the one taken advantage of, in the follow- 
ing pages. 

To show the justness of this application, it 
is worthy of reiteration, that religion is addresed 



16 



to the mind.* It is evident, then, that if we 
are in possession of a correct mental system, 
we have data, or grounds, from which we can 
deduce tests. 'witnessing to the Bible being the 
word of God, by showing that its doctrines are 
conformable to the constitution of that mind 
with which it has to do. This species of ana- 
logical proof rests on the possibility of inferring 
the truth of one proposition, from its consis- 
tency with another, which we know to be true ; 
and the evidence derived from this source, is 
second only to that of direct facts. 

By some it may be thought, that, in this de- 
monstration, too much is given to Phrenology: 
they may say, you would never have found out 
this application of the science, without the mind 
having been illuminated by Scripture truth. 
The author most readily allows this; and, in so 
doing is olad to acknowledge, that the word 
of God is the best purifier of the mental vision. 

* This word is used in the broad phrenological view, 
as comprehending the desires commonly called the flesh ; 
the sentiments mimed, in the Bible, the soul ; and the 
intellectual {'acuities represented in the same book by the 
word spirit. In this threefold division of the mental fac- 
ulties, Phrenology agrees with Scripture. 



17 



But it does not follow, because this applica- 
tion would not have been seen without the aid 
of the light of Scripture, that therefore the 
application did not exist ; any more than that 
the imperfection of our natural sight does not 
at all argue against the existence of things 
which we do not see; for I do not suppose, 
that many are so ignorantly blind, as to refuse 
to believe in any thing but what is evident to 
their own senses. We should, rather than im- 
pugn this application, rejoice in it, and value 
and study, constantly, the word of God, which 
alone is capable of enabling us to direct our 
knowledge to proper objects. 

This introduction may be concluded by an 
extract from a work published in the eigh- 
teenth century : — " The two volumes of nature 
and grace are so divinely perfect ; contain so 
much true beauty and solid worth, that, in order 
to be thoroughly admired, they can want noth- 
ing more than to be well understood. And, 
moreover, they correspond so strictly, and tally 
so exactly in numberless respects, and are so 
peculiarly fitted to illustrate, unfold, and enforce 
each other, that nothing can redound more to 
the credit and esteem of either, than a nearer 
2* 



18 



contemplation of both. Doubtless the more 
intimately men are acquainted with them, the 
greater excellencies they will discover ; and the 
severest search, if honestly made, must end in 
deriving both from the same original." * 



The author cannot let this opportunity pass 
without testifying his gratitude to an anatomical 
lecturer, Mr. Sleigh, of London, for having 
directed his attention to the discoveries of Gall 
and Spurzheim ; and also to Mr. Combe, whose 
labors, in the cause of Phrenology, will ever 
entitle him to respect, and will obtain him, in 
future days, a place, and that no mean one, 
among the benefactors of mankind. 

Edinburgh, 1827. 

* Balguy's Tracts, Moral and Theological, page xxix. 
Preface. 



INTRODUCTION 



When my thoughts were first turned to the 
subject discussed in these pages, so many and 
so powerful seemed the obstacles against their 
successful prosecution, that, had not an ardent 
desire to direct any additional knowledge to 
the developement of the most important truths, 
given its potent assistance, the following attempt 
would never have been made. Indeed many, 
and they men of sound sense, and extensive 
reading, asserted that every thing that could be 
said upon the evidences of Christianity had 
already been offered to the world, and enumer- 
ated a train of so many illustrious spirits, who 
had directed the powerful energies of their 
minds to this momentous question, that it seem- 
ed almost presumption to persevere. Still, how- 



20 

ever, the conviction of being in possession of 
a fountain of knowledge, which has been, till 
of late years, undiscovered ; and the certainty, 
that from it flows a purer stream than that 
which has formed the mighty, but Stygian, 
river of mental metaphysics ; and the hope that 
by seizing the stream in its course, it might be 
directed into the fields of truth, encouraged me 
to proceed. 

It is hoped, from the observations contained 
in the Preface, that the nature of the argument 
will be perceived. But as it is, naturally 
enough, a common case, that an author, like a 
painter, observes peculiarities, and sees farther 
and more in his productions, than the reader 
or the spectator beholds, it may be proper to 
make some additional remarks, proving, that 
the argument herein brought forward, has 
something new in it, and is not, as some may 
be apt to imagine, a substitution of new expres- 
sions for new ideas. In order to exhibit its 
novelty, it will be necessary to undertake the 
unpleasant, though useful, duty of showing the 
nature — and, in doing so, the defects — of 
former arguments (for they all seem more or 
less defective), and then to point out the nature 



21 

of the following. The ungracious nature of 
the task of dwelling upon the misconceptions 
of great men, must be evident to all : its per- 
formance, however, is a duty rendered impera- 
tive by their very celebrity. 

The arguments of those who have written 
upon the internal evidences of Christiani- 
ty : may be reduced under three classes. The 
first consists of those who have argued upon the 
reasonableness of the doctrines, or the accord- 
ance between the nature of the Christian religion, 
and the character of the Supreme. The divine 
character, it will be seen, is the touchstone in 
this species of argument. But to make this 
serve such a purpose is illogical, and conse- 
quentl , unsound. We have no knowledge of 
the char cter of God, but from his works and 
his word. 

Our information upon this head, from his 
works, is very limited ; indeed, so much so, that 
we cannot be justified in making our experience 
thereupon a standard of truth. Chalmers's 
reasoning on this subject is conclusive : " To 
assign," says he, " the character of the divine 
administration from the little that offers itself 
to the notice of our own personal observation, 



22 

would be far more absurd than to infer the 
history and character of the kingdom, from the 
history and character of our own family." Any 
reasoning, therefore, as to the truth of Christi- 
anity, from the accordance between its doctrines 
and the character of God, as made known by 
his works, is * inconclusive. Our knowledge 
from the word of God is far more extensive. 
Indeed, therein we are taught the real charac- 
ter of the Deity ; therein he who fills all is 
made known ; a view of his immeasurable 
attributes, under the veil of some interesting 
and important facts, is presented. This knowl- 
edge, thus obtained, is the proper standard to 
use in examining the divine character. But 
this is that which Christianity makes to appear; 
and, in proving that the general doctrines of 
the Christian system correspond with those 
that relate to the Being held forth therein, as 
the object of adoration, all that is demonstrated 

* It is not said, that it was inconclusive, but that it is. 
To Adam, whose vision was not biassed by the prepon- 
derance of his lower feelings, the creation was a continu- 
al preacher of the Creator ; and now that the light of 
Revelation has dawned, it has become again an in- 
structer. 



23 

is, that a consistency exists throughout. But 
this, though pleasant to behold, and, to the 
believer, one confirmatory evidence of the truth 
of his system, the object of belief, is not sufficient 
to authorize any one to believe the Bible to be in- 
deed the word of God. The harmony proves that 
truth is the general feature of the work ; but 
not that the God, who is Truth, is its author. 
In Euclid's elements there is throughout a 
consistency ; but who considers this as proving 
that of this work Euclid was the author ? The 
insufficiency of this argument will be rendered 
still more apparent, when it is remembered 
that this consistency is not perfect, at least to 
most minds ; for, with some matters revealed, 
all that can be said is, to use Paul's language, 
and to inquire, " Who art thou that repliest 
against God ? Shall the thing formed say to 
Him who formed it, Why hast thou made me 
thus ? 55 

The next class of reasoners are those who 
have argued in favor of Christianity, from its 
doctrines being superior, both in morality and in 
faith, to those of any existent system, and from 
its precepts being opposed to the predominant 
desires of the generality of men. Therefore, it 



24 



has been concluded by many, that Christianity 
could not have been the work of men, or of 
devils, but necessarily of God. This conclu- 
sion depends upon a want of knowledge; for, 
in many works written by heathen philoso- 
phers,* we find very proper practices recom- 
mended, and many duties enjoined, requiring 
for their performance the sacrifice of feelings 
which men hold dear. Wicked men have often 
inculcated highly moral precepts. Voltaire, in 
his Philosophical Dictionary, has some excellent 
laudatory and illustrative remarks, on self-denial, 
and other commonly called virtues. The mo- 
rality of Christianity, it is true, is distinguished 
by the principle to which, in this system, it 
owes its rise, namely, the love of God. The 
arguments of this class, can be called no more 
than illustrations of Christianity : as such, they 
have been useful in exhibiting the grandeur and 
elevation of the Christian system, even as a 
system of philosophy ; but do not prove that 
the same is a revelation from God, because we 
are not certain, upon like reasoning, but some 



* See Apologia Dei ; a valuable work, as containing 
records of the opinions of the ancients. 



25 

system ma}' yet come forward superior to it. 
Before, then, this argument can be convincing, 
it will be necessary for us to possess the stand- 
ard of perfection, and to find that, upon com- 
paring Christianity with it, they agree. 

The third class of arguments consists of 
those drawn from the honesty, manifested by 
their sufferings, of the persons who bore testi- 
mony to the truths stated in the Bible, and 
from the successful elevation of Christianity 
above all the numerous, varied, and powerful 
attempts to overthrow it. The withstanding of 
this opposition, it is said, is sufficient to demon- 
strate, that the Christian system has God for 
its author. But this way of reasoning is not 
conclusive. Many persons, moreover, have 
devoted their lives in the defence of what are 
now believed not only false, but absurdly child- 
ish religions : and it is w r ell known, that the 
best way to perpetuate a name, is to persecute 
its possessor. Indeed, a philosopher, who 
wished his opinions to be known, cried, " Per- 
secute me, persecute me." Persecuted men 
band together, stir up one another, and often 
unjustly identify their cause with that of God, 
and, by so doing, acquire an intrepidity superior 
3 



26 

to every difficulty. And, allowing, that the 
bearing of persecution for conscience* sake 
shows the honesty of the belief of the persecut- 
ed, it is no proof that the thing believed is not 
a lie. For, though what Gamaliel said to the 
Jewish sanhedrim respecting the infliction of 
punishment on the first preachers of Christian- 
ity, namely, " If this counsel, or this work be 
of men, it will come to nought ; but if it be of 
God, ye cannot overthrow it" (Acts v. 38, 
39), is true, yet it is a species of evidence 
that is merely subsidiary, and only that, when 
ages are past. Such reasoning would establish, 
in the mind of the Papist, the Romish church 
as the right church; in the opinion of the 
Turk, the Mahommedan. Indeed, this logic is 
one, which laziness has begotten upon fear. 
Instead of investigating the evident, and, to 
Gamaliel, sensibly evident testimonies to the 
divine mission of the apostles, and to the 
heavenly nature of the doctrines taught by 
them, he, afraid of examining matters which 
came so near home, contented himself in this 
doctrine of expediency. And let those who 
argue thus on any truth beware, lest, by this 
lukewarmness, they depart from the way of 
duty, and cease to do good to men. 



27 



These three classes comprise almost all the 
arguments that have been written upon the in- 
ternal evidences of Christianity ; and, though 
not conclusive, have not been without use. 
They have been the means of removing much 
of the rubbish that prevented some of the strong 
and well-defended buttresses of the Christian's 
citadel being seen. They have shown the bul- 
warks of Zion, and have pointed out thy 
beauties, O Jerusalem ! 

Two arguments, however, remain to be 
noticed ; these not being comprised within the 
three above. Reference is made to those of 
Butler and Erskine. 

Some had disputed the truth of Revelation, 
upon the ground that it contains many things 
which are opposed to our reason, and to the 
light afforded us by natural religion. To this 
objection Butler replied, by showing, that if 
this argument was sufficient to overturn the 
truth of revelation, it was equally so in destroy- 
ing the truth of what we observe in nature. 
For, in the natural world, we see and believe 
in many things which we do not understand, 
and which we cannot reconcile with our notions 
derived from any natural source. But if our 



28 



belief be refused, unless our understandings per- 
ceive the nature of all things, we must shut our 
eyes, we must deny the most evident, yea, sen- 
sibly evident truths. Hkherto the argument of 
Butler is good. As overturning the objection, 
it is unanswerable ; but the positive application 
which some have made of it in attempting to 
establish Christianity, is not so good. It can 
do only as a negative argument. 

For that man wanders wide, and in a latitude 
not in Butler's measurement, when from the 
similarity between nature and revelation, that 
difficulties exist in each, he argues that, there- 
fore, the God of nature and the God of revela- 
tion are the same. There is more of neatness 
than of conclusiveness in this way of reasoning; 
a similar kind of logic would demonstrate, that, 
because two things agree in one respect, they 
shall coincide altogether. 

Erskine has, however, struck out a new road. 
The character and condition of man hold pre- 
eminent places in his argument. The character 
of God, namely, that recognised by natural 
religion, has its place. He endeavours to show, 
that the doctrinal facts contained in the Bible 
are such as must necessarily arise from the di- 



29 



vine character ; and that the nature of these 
facts, in relation to man, is such, that the 
effects, which it is said in the Christian system, 
will be produced by their exhibition and recep- 
tion, are such as, on the known principles of 
human nature, must be : thence concluding, 
that Christianity is a revelation from God. To 
use, however, his own words — " I mean to 
show, that there is an intelligible and necessary 
connexion between the doctrinal facts of reve- 
lation, and the character of God (as deduced 
from natural religion), in the same way as there 
is an intelligible and necessary connexion be- 
tween the character of a man, and his most 
characteristic actions ; and farther, that the 
belief of these doctrinal facts has an intelligible 
and necessary tendency to produce the Christian 
character, in the same way that the belief of 
danger has an intelligible and necessary tenden- 
cy to produce fear." This method of reasoning, 
though, as far as I have been able to learn, 
never objected to, is inconclusive ; on three 
grounds. I state this opinion with all humility ; 
but truth does not admit of a compromise, even 
among friends warring in the same cause. It 
is liable to objection, first, from the assumption 
3* 



30 

of the character of God as recognised by natural 
religionists ; second, from certain known 'prin- 
ciples of human nature being taken for granted ; 
and third, from the condition in which human 
nature is, and to which the motives contained 
in the facts of Christianity are suited, not being 
explained or proved. To consider these grounds 
individually, may be beneficial and just; and, 
therefore, with respect to the first, it may be 
observed, that until that which is called natural 
Teligion, is proved to present a correct standard 
of the character of God, it cannot be consist- 
ently used in demonstrating that the doctrinal 
facts of Scripture are of divine origin. But 
this is the method of demonstrating the divine 
original of Scripture by Erskine, as may be seen 
by reading over the first portion of the recorded 
extract. The uncertainty of the dicta of natural 
religion must be evident to every one who has 
examined his own mind, and has observed how 
others' thoughts have become so incorporated 
in his mental exercises, that, when they appear, 
he takes them for his own. The Deists of 
modern days have, it is true, brought forward a 
more consistent system than those, their fellows 
of the ages before the Christian era. But to 



31 



what is this superiority referrible ? Is it not 

THAT REVEALED RELIGION HAS BEEN INCORPO- 
RATED INTO THE MINDS OF THE DEISTS BY EARLY 
EDUCATION, AND THENCE BEING BIASSED, THEY 
HAVE DEVISED A SYSTEM IN WHICH ALL THE 
REAL BEAUTIES ARE BORROWED FROM CHRIS- 
TIANITY? And in making the dicta of natural 
religion the means of deciding upon the divine 
origin of the doctrinal facts of the Christian 
system, we fall into the error of making the 
experience of those whom every Christian must 
allow are enemies of revealed truth, the judge, 
before whom the character and the proceedings 
of the Deity are arraigned. If natural religion 
was demonstrated to be true, in all its decisions 
respecting the character of God, this might be 
permitted, but not till then. I am aware it may 
be said, that man was created in God's image ; 
and that, by giving to God all the moral traits 
in man in an infinite degree (the way of natural 
religionists), we cannot err. But this way of 
reasoning is fallacious ; because it is only from 
revelation that we learn, that man was created 
in his Maker's image : and the strength of this 
species of argument depends upon what, to an 
unbeliever, is an assumption. 



32 



The second ground on which Erskine's argu- 
ment must be inconclusive to the infidel, is, that 
certain features of human character are taken 
as known principles of human nature. Many 
may allow that the principles of Erskine are 
the fixed ones of the nature of man, but there 
are others that will not; and before the argu- 
ment deduced from such principles is valid, 
these must be demonstrated to be the immutable 
standards of human character. If he had es- 
tablished the principles of human nature upon a 
foundation as firm as that on which the laws of 
mechanics are fixed, his reasoning from them 
would be fair. This we have a right to expect ; 
for Erskine introduces his argument by a beau- 
tiful illustration. He fancies a traveller returned 
from China, where, among the many wonders 
seen, it is supposed one was a steam-engine. 
He tells his countrymen, the Syracusans. The 
stupid believe all; the judicious doubt; but 
Archimedes, on hearing the description of the 
boiler, the pipes, valves, and of the other parts, 
acknowledges the truth of the narration, al- 
though the narrator may not be trust-worthy : 
and why 1 Because the effects stated agree 
with the known principles of mechanics. Thence 






it follows, that, for Evskine's argument to hold 
good, it is necessary that the principles of man's 
iould be demonstrated; because the 
mere decisions of experience cannot be ccn- 
iratil all experiences decide similarly. 
The third defect in Erskine's argument is, 
that, in it, man is assumed to be in a certain 
condition. Every one must allow that much 
evil is in the world, and most will agree in re- 
ferring its origin to the fall. But the motives 
of Christianity are addressed to our nature, as 
affected in a certain way by the fall ; and the 
force, and the suitableness, of the doctrinal facts 
can be seen, to the full extent, only when a con- 
viction of being in this condition is driven 
home upon the mind, by a demonstration of its 
truth. It is true, Christianity says that we are 
in this condition ; but the infidel does not be- 
lieve : and, before he can be convinced of the 
suitableness of the doctrinal facts of the Chris- 
tian system to produce certain effects, he must 
have it demonstrated that such is the condition 
of human nature ; for it must be allowed, that 
is very suitable to a person in one state, 
may be very unsuitable to him in another. 



34 

Having thus pointed out the nature of former 
arguments, **it remains that the one pursued in 
the following pages should be brought forward. 
Previous, however, to doing this, it seems to 
the writer a bounden duty to bear testimony to 
the beauties of Erskine's publication ; and to 
add, that though it is not a conclusive argu- 
ment, it affords the most striking illustrations of 
the genuine influence of Christian principles. 
Every Christian must be pleased with the work, 
and must be happy to see the extensive circula- 
tion which it has had ; and its writer, it must 
be acknowledged, has made a diligent use of 
every means he had in his power. And though 
the deficiencies in the argument already stated, 
are supplied in the following pages, the author 
takes no credit to himself; the difference being, 
that he happens to be in possession of means 
which Mr. Erskine did not possess ; or, if pos- 
sessing, did not use. 



* One argument has not been noticed, and this is, per- 
haps, the best of all. It is Haldane's; and is well worthy 
of perusal. It views Christianity as regarding the salva- 
tion of man. Some others, of which the author is not 
aware, may have been passed by. 



35 

Phrenology, as a true system of the human 
mind, supplies all these defects. It frees its 
possessor from the need of any appeal, for the 
sake of argument, either to natural or revealed 
religion, for the character of God ; puts him in 
possession of the known, the fixed principles of 
human nature ; opens up to him the influence 
of motives on that nature ; enables him to 
prove, both that man is in the condition in 
which he is said to be, in Scripture, and to over- 
rule many unanswerable objections. 

Before stating the argument, it may be proper 
to hint at an objection often made by those who 
have not fully studied the discoveries which the 
science of Phrenology has made. It is this, 
that experience is equally sufficient with the evi- 
dence of phrenological demonstration. This is 
saying that the stream is equally pure as the* 
fountain. Experience is the stream flowing 
from the primitive faculties, demonstrated by 
Phrenology. Experience consisting of deduc- 
tions of the mind from facts observed ; which 
facts themselves have arisen from sources, which 
were anterior to the facts themselves. It is 
true, we can say the stream is water, but we 
cannot be certain that it arises from & fountain. 



It may be accumulated rain. The metaphysi- 
cians say that it is : they refer the differences, 
which Phrenology demonstrates to arise from 
primitive faculties, to the influence of circum- 
stances ; and refuse to acknowledge that they 
flow from individual fountains. Thus we see 
the uncertainty of experience, from the possi- 
bility of putting different explanations upon it ; 
and the certainty of phrenological demonstra- 
tion, by its not permitting any difference of 
explanation. Indeed, metaphysicians are, in 
truth, Owenites, although they will not allow 
it. 

But to the argument : — All religions are sim- 
ilar in the three following respects : in having 
some superior being or beings for their object ; the 
favor of the same as their end ; and the means 
of obtainment as their subject. These remarks 
apply to Christianity : and, in illustrating them 
in the following dissertation, it will be proved 
that this religion alone can boast a divine orig- 
inal, from the following circumstances : That 
no God but that of Christianity can be 
approved of by man, on account of his 
mental constitution : but man having, in 
every case, approved of others beside the true 



37 



God, SOME CHANGE HAS HAPPENED IN HUMAN 

Nature ; That this change is evil, and that 
man is necessarily evil : That the means for 
obtaining God's favor are suited to man in 
such, and in no other condition : That the 
obtaining of this favor is connected with cer- 
tain changes, which the means are effica- 
cious in producing : That the means for pre- 
serving the favor of God, are such as, according 
to the present condition of human nature, are 
efficiently suited for effecting that great 
object : Finally, concluding, that as Christianity 
corresponds thus, in every respect, with the 
fixed constitution of our nature, it must be the 
work of the Author of our being. Such are 
the principal matters discussed in the present 
work ; and it now remains that we pursue 
them. 

The similarity between all religions has been 
stated. And as the division is natural, between 
a being and the circumstances in connexion, 
the argument will embrace two points : First, 
the general character of the God of Christianity; 
and, second, His particular character, seen in 
the means to be made use of by His creatures, 
to gain, and preserve His favor. 
4 



INTERNAL 

EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY 



DEDUCED FROM 



PHRENOLOGY, 



PART I. 

The argument to be illustrated is, that the 
•general character of god, as revealed by 
Christianity, is conformable to the prin- 
ciples OF OUR NATURE, AS DEMONSTRATED BY 

Phrenology. In establishing this, four propo- 
sitions will be offered for consideration : first, 
That man is so constituted as to be constrained 
-.o worship some being ; second, That he is en- 
dowed with certain faculties, enabling him to 
decide on what ought to be the object worship- 
ped ; third, That this object must be such as 
these faculties, unbiassed, approve of; and, 
fourth, That the God of Christianity is the only 
such object. 



40 

The first proposition that requires demon- 
stration is, That man is so constituted as to 

BE CONSTRAINED TO WORSHIP SOME BEING. 

Such a proposition may, to some minds, be 
so self-evident as to need no proof. Indeed, 
one writer says, that " it is morally fit that man 
should reverence his Maker, is a proposition 
self-evident to all that rightly understand the 
terms." In proof, it has been urged, that man 
is called a religious animal. That he should 
have received such a distinguishing appellation 
without some adequate cause seems unreason- 
able. Indeed, this characteristic of human 
nature is very evident, even upon a superficial 
observation ; and so strong and so general has 
been the impression of a superintending power, 
and of our duty to bow in homage before the 
same, that the most civilized of nations banish- 
ed Pythagoras, one of their philosophers, for 
denying the existence of a God, and put an- 
other, called by the Delphic oracle the wisest 
of men, to death, for maintaining the existence 
of a being thought bv his countrymen to be in 
opposition to their superintending powers. The 
lifting up the hands and eyes towards heaven, 
the natural language of distress, seems to bear 



41 



testimony to the general impression, both of the 
existence of a Deity, and of the duty of bowing 
before him. And, though, in health and pros- 
perity, many among the heathens, and, in mod- 
ern times, still many more, have pretended to 
doubt the existence of God, and consequently 
their duty to worship him ; yet, in the days of 
adversity and sickness, we find, as Seneca re- 
marks, that these skeptics show themselves to 
be most fearful of this Being, who, according 
to them, when in health, is the fancy of men. 
And few will doubt what Cicero says; " There 
was never a nation so savage, or people so bar- 
barous, but always confessed the existence of a 
God." The objects of worship may be, not 
God, but devils, or, sometimes, even men; and 
the means for obtaining the favor of the being 
worshipped, may be not beneficent, but cruel ; 
yet, the impressions that there is such a being, 
and that this, as such, should be worshipped, 
seem to be general. And it is a curious fact, 
that the very name the Greeks gave to the 
Deity, 0*°? L theos, signifies fear. If language 
consists of signs of things, this affords most 
striking illustration and evidence of the opinions 
of the Greeks upon this subject. 
4 # 



42 



However evident these conclusions may seem, 
and however fairly deduced from facts, some 
have disputed them. So evident, indeed, are 
they thought by one writer, that he attests " it 
would be as absurd to demand a reason why man 
should reverence his Maker, as to ask why a 
whole is greater than its part." * But this is no 
argument ; for it should always be remembered, 
that, before ice can be convinced of the fitness of 
any thing, it must be evident to ourselves ; it 
being clear to others, unless they be infallible 
(an attribute which a real Protestant will not 
be willing to allow to any man), is no reason 
why it should appear fit to us. Indeed, two 
objections have been urged against these conclu- 
sions, thus deduced : the first is, that there is no 
cause for a belief in a superior existence ; and 
second, supposing that a superior being exists, 
there is no reason why he should be worshipped. 
These objections must be refuted ; and, in their 
refutation, an opportunity will be afforded to 
show the importance of Phrenology, in giving the 
force of demonstration, to conclusions deduced 
from otherwise disputable observations. The 

* See Synge's Method, p. 11. 



43 



first objection set the master-genius of Paley to 
work, and the result of his labors was his valua- 
ble and interesting publication, " Natural The- 
ology." His main proposition, which he illus- 
trates by a great variety of examples, is, that 
wherever there is design, there must be a de- 
signer. In the world, innumerable instances of 
design are evident, and therefore, according to 
his proposition, a contriver must have existed ; 
and as, in the carrying on of the varying circum- 
stances of this and other worlds, there must be a 
presiding mind, that contriver still exists. This 
argument, so simple, and apparently so free 
from objection, was nullified by an opposing 
statement. The skeptic did not pretend to deny 
the examples of design, but disputed the conclu- 
sion that these should lead to a designer. Paley 
illustrates his argument by supposing a plain, 
over which a person travelling picks up a watch. 
The archdeacon then analyzes the thoughts 
that would pass through the man's mind. But 
here he fell into an error, which almost all met- 
aphysicians have been in the habit of com- 
mitting : he made his own consciousness that of 
the man, and makes the traveller think as one 
would, who knew the uses of the watch. To 



44 



Paley it would exhibit the idea of a workman ; 
but why ? Because he knew that workmen 
made such things. Here, then, his conviction 
of design depended upon his knowledge.* But 
let a savage happen to pick up the watch, what 
would be his conclusions? said the infidel. He 
would, it is likely, fancy it was some animal, 
having peculiar powers, and would be aston- 
ished ; f he would not think of a designer, un- 
less he had seen such a thing made by some 
one. But any other animal, besides man, would 
have thought in a similar way. The animal 
creation behold the same objects ; they look 
around, admire, and wonder; but do not infer 
any thing respecting a supreme existence. A 
cat, as well as man, sees itself in a glass ; but 
does the cat imagine that man made the glass? 

* The same opinion respecting Paley's reasoning is 
given by Mr. Rennell, Christian Advocate in the Univer- 
sity of Edinburgh, in his Remarks on Skepticism. 

t It is curious that the above was written without any 
knowledge that such would turn out to be a fact ; but an 
intelligent lady, to whom the first edition of this book- was 
lent for perusal, appended a note, that a savage, to whom 
a watch was presented, did actually regard it as an ani- 
mal, and feared to handle it lest it might injure him. — 
See Lander's Expedition to the Niger. 



45 



The force of this objection is more apparent, 
when we reflect on what we ourselves would 
think, had we never seen a watch before, and 
knew nothing about time. This philosophy, 
though so humbling, has been advocated ; it puts 
man on a level with the brute creation, a para- 
doxical exhibition of philosophical pride. We 
might almost doubt whether men ever held such 
opinions, were we not aware that one would-be 
philosopher of the present day, glories in the idea 
of being, post mortem, a cabbage. Those, who 
argued for the existence of a superintending 
power, were so delighted at the opportunity of 
attack afforded them by this lowering of man to 
the rank of the brute creation, that they came to 
the charge with the word " reason," without 
having properly considered in what reason con- 
sists. The possession of reason was their ground, 
on which it was maintained that man and no 
other animal, could discover the existence of the 
Supreme, and, discovering this, could be bound 
to worship him. Prejudice, it is true, was on 
their side; but the infidel returned their attack 
with a vigor and a skill, to the effects of which 
they had laid themselves open, by the intemper- 
ance of their charge. He demanded the evi- 



46 

dence that man is in the possession of reason ; 
and observed, if we say reason consists in fore- 
sight, look at the ant, that collects with so much 
diligence her food for the winter ; if reason be 
exhibited in suiting ourselves to our circum- 
stances, behold the beaver, building its two- 
floored house ; if in being grateful for favors, 
consider the dog, the faithful remembrancer of 
kindness ; if in the approval of what is right, 
read the numerous instances wherein animals 
act justly. A long dispute was now entered into 
respecting the nature of reason ; and attempts 
were made to point out differences between this 
and instinct. A principal distinction was the 
following: — That instincts ever lead to the 
same results, and do not admit of improvement. 
But against this so many facts were urged, that 
the objection cannot be considered answered 
with such clearness as to justify an infidel in 
bowing before the judgment of his opponents.* 

* Indeed, the difficulties attendant upon a delineation 
of the difference between reason and instinct, will be fully 
seen by reading the valuable work, entitled " Paxton's 
Illustrations of Scripture;" also an Essay on Instinct, 
read before the Royal Society of Edinburgh ; also SmeK 
lie's Natural History. 



47 

It was asserted, that reason is a ray of fl the 
light that enlightens every man who comes into 
the world;" a beam of the eternal Logos, the 
" Sun of Righteousness." Many may allow the 
truth of this beautiful remark ; but the infidel 
observes, " This is assertion, where is the 
proof?" 

This brief view of skeptic opinions has been 
given with the intent of showing how little cer- 
tainty the labors of metaphysicians have con- 
ferred upon these important subjects ; and I 
think, if phrenology sets these questions for ever 
at rest, we cannot look upon the science but 
with a smile of approbation. 

How then can the question be answered ? 
how is it to be proved that man possesses rea- 
son? In order to give a proper reply, it must 
be established that man has certain facul- 
ties, NOT IN THE POSSESSION OF OTHER ANI- 
MALS, THE EXERCISE OF WHICH CONSTITUTES 

reason. Does phrenology afford this means of 
proof? It does. This science demonstrates, by 
observation, and by dissection, that man is in 
possession of several faculties not possessed by 
beasts ; and, among these, two in particular, the 
exercise of which constitutes reason. These are 



48 

Causality, which traces between cause and 
effect, and impresses us with au irresistible con- 
viction, that every phenomenon, or change in 
nature, is caused by something ; and Compari- 
son, which gives the power of perceiving resem- 
blances, similitudes, and analogies. These two 
faculties, perceiving the wisdom, harmony, 
power, and beautiful connexion in the works of 
creation, infer that a supreme creating and 
directing Mind exists. This they do from the 
very necessity of their constitution. * 

The establishment of these faculties takes, 
away one chief support of the second objection, 
that supposing a superior being exists, there is 
no reason why man should worship him. The 
skeptic maintained that, though he received 
many benefits from the works of creation, this 
is no reason why he should bow before the Crea- 
tor. M For," said he, " does not the insect 
enjoy the benefits of God's creation, when it 
revels in the sun-beam ? Does not the lion r 

* For a fuller illustration of these observations, see 
Combe's System of Phrenology, article Causality; see 
also pages 141, 142, 143, Phren. Jour., No. 1; for a 
fuller exposition of these principles and facts, see also 
page 145, note, No. 1., Phrenological Journal. 



49 



wandering through the desert, and stalking along 
in the dignity of his greatness, receive his food 
from the hand of Heaven 1 Does not the Crea- 
tor supply the rivers for the fish, and does He 
not feed the fowls of every kind ? Why should 
I, any more than these, who enjoy the benefits of 
creation, bow before the Creator ? And besides, 
if I look over the earth, I behold much misery. 
It is true, the earth is watered, and the sun 
rises. The face of nature is beautiful; but, sad 
contrast! I am obliged to obtain my bread by 
the sweat of my brow ; my life is beset with toils 
which cannot be avoided. Am I to worship a 
Being who has permitted such misery?" To 
reply to the former observations, it was alleged, 
that man possesses reason ; an allegation demon- 
strated by phrenology. To the latter, it was 
urged, happiness is the rule, but misery the ex- 
ception. To this the skeptic replied by a pas- 
sage from the Bible, " Man is born to trouble 
as the sparks fly upwards; 5 ' and added, even 
allowing that our reason may demonstrate the 
existence of God, it does not therefore follow 
that he should be worshipped. " My reason 
says, He is above all glory and praise. I am 
the clay in his hands, and his glory is exhibited 
5 



50 

in my constitution. " And besides, the simple 
belief of an existence does not imply that that 
existence is to be worshipped ; for " the under- 
standing only perceives facts and draws inferen- 
ces, but does not feel emotions ; and adoration is 
an emotion." Metaphysicians argue to the con- 
trary, but they have been misguided, by mistak- 
ing the decision of another faculty of the human 
mind, for that of those constituting reason. And 
that simple adoration is not the effect of reason, 
but of some other faculty equally strong, is proved 
by the fact, that the deities of the savages are, 
often, blocks of wood and stone. It surely will 
not be said, that a logical tiain of deductions 
gave birth to this species of worship ; a conclu- 
sion to which we must come, if we allow that the 
impression of the duty of worshipping a superior 
Being depends upon the design, harmony, and 
order, in the works of creation, discoverable by 
reason. Is it a conclusion of reason that gives 
rise to idol worship 1 To what then are all the 
facts connected with adoration referrible? " To 
the influence of education/' says the skeptic; 
w and the differences in the elevation of the 
object worshipped, arise from the relative cultiva- 
tion of the minds of the worshippers ; and the 



51 



beginning of worship of every kind, is ascribable 
to designing priests." This objection is invali- 
dated by the nature of the facts; for how could 
the priests have induced such a state of things, 
unless something exists in the mind of man, 
leading him to worship; and why should the 
priests have chosen this method of bringing their 
fellow-men over to their purposes, unless they 
had been convinced that, in man, a powerful 
tendency to worship some Being exists? How- 
ever, the infidel strenuously maintains his expla- 
nation of the facts, which he considers as exhibi- 
tive of the influence of education. Indeed, 
conviction has not been driven home upon this 
point ; because, though it is fair to argue, as has 
already been done, that where light exists, there 
must be a luminary, so there cannot be any ex- 
hibitions of a religious principle^ unless the prin- 
ciple is in existence ; yet, until we can either 
show that the infidel explanation is insufficient to 
account for the phenomena, or bring positive 
evidence to the existence of the principle, we 
cannot convince the gainsayer. Those, who 
have been used to reasoning, will know the diffi- 
culty connected with proving to any one the 
insufficiency of his explanation ; and, although 



52 



in this case, a person, void of education, who 
has had no communication, so far as is known, 
with human beings, a man of the woods, in 
fact,* is brought, having manifested in his con- 
duct the influence of a principle leading him to 
bow before God, the skeptic objects, and fairly 
too, " We are unacquainted with all the circum- 
stances of this person's history. In his early life 
he may have seen some human being lift his 
hands and eyes towards heaven, and being imita- 
tive in his nature, followed the example, and 
become a worshipper of a being, of whom he is 
altogether ignorant." On this ground the infidel 
takes his stand, and defies the utmost efforts of 
his opponent. For, though it has been (and 
with truth) asserted, that " a kind of devotion 
inducing man to worship him, being the Crea- 
tor and preserver of men, and of all things else, 
and the provident Father of all, is planted and 
inseparably fixed in the hearts of all men ; " yet, 
to prove this, if we can appeal to nothing but 

* Since the publication of the first edition, Casper 
Hauser has been brought before the public, and the 
reader is requested to read the account published of him 
in the Penny Magazine : also a later account by Lord 
Stanhope. 



53 



exhibitions, which, the infidel asserts, arise from 
circumstances, we can never be successful. We 
mu?t demonstrate the principle. 

Such, then, is the condition in which we are 
left by the observation of facts. Phrenology 
stops not here, but helps us out of our difficulty, 
by demonstrating, by positive and incontroverti- 
ble evidence, the existence in man, and in man 
only, of a faculty of the mind, the source, the 
fountain, of all these exhibitions of worship. 
This faculty is named Veneration, from the 
emotions to which it gives rise. Its existence 
(for the evidence is convincing) affords an all- 
powerful argument ; in fact, the only argument 
that can be used, to prove to a man, who loves 
his infidel explanation of the exhibitions of this 
principle, the inaccuracy of his opinions. And 
having proved its existence, it may be asked as 
an illustrative evidence, whether a human being, 
not idiotic, was ever known, who did not, in any 
respect, exhibit its influence in adoring some one 
being or other 1 

In answering these objections, the proposition 
started with has been proved. It has been de- 
monstrated, that man, from his very constitution, 
is bound to worship some being. And, when, ir\ 
5* 



54 

addition, we consider that man, and man only, 
has the faculty of Veneration, we see a distinc- 
tion between him and the lower animals ; and 
behold the cause why the soul of man goeth 
upwards, while that of a beast proceedeth down- 
wards. The examination of this proposition I 
cannot conclude better, than by the introduction 
of a passage, elegant in style, and beautiful in 
sentiment. " Dr. Gall observes, ' that the exis- 
tence of the organ (Veneration) is an indirect 
proof of the existence of God. Destructiveness 
is implanted in the mind, and animals exist 
around us to be killed for our nourishment. 
Adhesiveness and Philoprogenitiveness are given, 
and friends and children are provided as objects 
on whom they may be exercised. Benevolence 
is conferred on us, and the poor and unhappy, on 
whom it may shed its soft influence, are every 
where present with us. In like manner, the 
instinctive tendency to worship is implanted in 
the mind ; and, conformably to these analogies 
of nature, we are entitled to infer that a God 
exists whom we may adore.' " Combe's System, 
p. 147. 



55 

The faculty of Veneration produces mere 
emotion. It is the source of the tendency to 
worship a superior power, but does not guide its 
possessor in forming any ideas, correct or incor- 
rect, of the object worshipped. It is, therefore, 
natural to expect, that the Being who made man, 
and has endowed him with a faculty leading to 
adoration, has also provided his creature with 
faculties, which, if properly directed, will lead 
to the knowledge of the character fitted to be 
the object on whom this faculty may be rightly 
exercised. Indeed, without such an endowment, 
man could not discover, in this matter, between 
good and evil, and would have been left in the 
chaos of objects, without a test to discover the 
real and proper one ; he would be, in the wide 
ocean of his imagination, as a mariner without 
his compass on the mighty Pacific. 

These obsersations lead to the second proposi- 
tion in establishing the argument taken from the 
general character of God, that Man is endowed 

WITH CERTAIN FACULTIES, ENABLING HIM TO 
DECIDE ON WHAT OUGHT TO BE THE OBJECT 
WORSHIPPED. 

Phrenology demonstrates the existence of cer- 
tain faculties ; and it is phrenology, only, that 



56 

does. Metaphysicians have wandered far from 
this idea. Common-sense people have asserted 
their existence under the name of " dispositions/' 
and in this, as well as in many other points, their 
sentiments approach phrenological truth. Com- 
monsense and Phrenology always agree; but 
there is, in general, little accordance between 
this product of observant minds, and the mental 
metaphysics of the ancient school. Mental meta- 
physics are foolishly abstract; their believers 
tell us what is going on in the temple of their 
consciousness, but not in the large theatre of the 
world. Phrenology studies nature as it is, and 
teaches us that we have the faculties of Causality 
and Comparison, the offices of which have been 
explained ; and also that we are in possession of 
Conscientiousness, which gives birth to the sense 
of right and wrong, and produces the feeling of 
moral duty and obligation ; of Hope, producing 
the tendency to believe in the possibility of what 
the other faculties desire, and to look forward 
into futurity; of Benevolence, the name of which 
explains its power; of Firmness, of Cautious- 
ness, and of others. Phrenology proves, in addi- 
tion, that these faculties harmonize together, so 
that the intellect cannot, except when biassed by 



57 

the desires, or misled by ignorance, approve of 
any thing opposed to the dictates of the moral 
sentiment?;. These faculties decide always in a 
similar way ; their language is perpetually the 
same, although differing in power. This antici- 
pates the objection, that the decisions of these 
faculties, when small, are different from those 
resulting from them, when large. Persons, rea- 
soning thus, forget that a difference in degree, is 
not a difference in kind. A drop of rain is water, 
as much as is the ocean. Benevolence must 
be benevolent ; Conscientiousness must be just ; 
Causality must investigate ; Comparison must 
compare ; Cautiousness must excite caution, 
whether small or large. The voice may be feeble 
and faint, but it will never vary. 

Man has been endowed with these faculties 
that they may serve for his guidance. His Hope 
aspires for some object on which to rest ; his 
Cautiousness bids him beware of resting on a 
sandy foundation ; his Causality and Comparison 
dictate that such are all things here below ; his 
Benevolence makes his Hope sigh for an object 
of benevolence ; and his Conscientiousness for 
one who is just. 



58 

In order that the importance of these faculties 
may be more fully seen, it may be farther re- 
marked, that the faculty of Veneration, unguided 
by them, may urge its possessor to " worship the 
genius of the storm, the sun, as the source of 
light, heat, and vegetable life ; " or, if more 
debased in intellect, he may bow before stocks 
and stones. It was the faculty of Veneration, 
not under the presiding influence of the other 
faculties, and misguided by the vain and proud 
imaginations of skeptical philosophy, that gave 
birth to the first verse of Pope's Universal Prayer, 
the sentiments of which are not less impious, 
according to the literal meaning, than the versi- 
fication is pretty. Veneration is blind ,* the un- 
biassed faculties are its eyes ; and by them, the 
way in which the former should exercise itself, 
is found out. The object of these remarks is to 
impress on the mind the important truth, that 
Veneration, unguided by the intellectual faculties 
and moral sentiments, must lead its possessor into 
the deep night of superstition, affording to design- 
ing priests an opportunity to way-lay and to strip 
the traveller, not only of his raiment, but' of his 
mental freedom — things which all history de- 
clares they have ever done. 



59 

The existence of these faculties having been 
demonstrated by Phrenology, and the nature of 
their operation, as connected with the present 
subject, having been thus briefly stated, the 
third proposition comes into view, namely that 

THE OBJECT WORSHIPPED, MUST BE SUCH AS 
THE FACULTIES, UNBIASSED, APPROVE OF. With 

the view of finding out this object, the principal 
heathen deities, first, of the commonalty, then, 
of 'the philosophers, will pass under review ; and, 
as they march on, their features will be ex- 
amined through the scrutinizing eye of these 
faculties. 

One of the principal features of Paganism — 
(for, under this term, Grecian and Roman, as 
well as Egyptian and Persian idolatries must be 
classed, in spite of the Gibbonian definition * of 



* "Gibbon, though intellectual by nature, and culti- 
vated by study; though brilliant in the erudition of re- 
search, unrivalled, too, in splendor and felicity of diction, 
his clay-clad heart could discover no terrestrial charms, 
save in Paganism. Nor could aught of congruous sym- 
pathy reach his affections from any sentiment impearled 
with Christian graces, or from any tear by Christian 
effluence.'' Christianity Epitomized, by Rob. Bourne, Esq. 
pp. 121, 122, 



60 

the first, the elegant mythology of the Greeks,) is 
a plurality of deities. Indeed, polytheism is 
the leading characteristic of heathen devotion. 
" In number, titles, and attributes, the objects of 
adoration may, indeed, occasionally differ ; but 
a multiplicity of deities still constitutes the 
general creed of Paganism, and a dereliction of 
the pure worship of the Unity is equally charge- 
able upon the refinements of Europe and Asia, 
the degraded worship of the western hemisphere, 
and the base superstition of Africa. The wis- 
dom of Egypt, the learning of Greece, the mas- 
culine energy of Rome, were alike unable to 
preserve them from the universal contagion." * 
It becomes, thence, a matter of inquiry, Is this 
predominating feature of the ancient idolatries 
in accordance with the decision of our mental 
faculties? Veneration, it is true, would as wil- 
lingly, perhaps, have many, as few, objects of 
adoration ; but what will Causality and Compari- 
son decide upon this matter ? Their decision 
is the following : these numerous deities cannot 
all be equal : they could not have called them- 
selves into existence (supposing them to be exis- 

* Faber's Horae Mosaicae, vol. i. p. 7, chap. 1. 



61 



tences.) but must have had some one who is 
their original, the source whence~they derived 
being. This must be superior to the rest, and 
ought, therefore, to be the object of worship ; 
and, unless authority is given to recognise the 
worship of other beings, his inferiors, Conscien- 
tiousness and Cautiousness forbid to bow the 
knee before creatures, themselves created. Thus 
then, it appears, that the demonstrably existing 
mental faculties pass the decision of " No " upon 
the question, whether it is accordant with their 
constitution that the faculty of Veneration should 
be directed to more than one object. And this 
want of accordance is more fully seen when it is 
remembered, that the Father, Saturn, the origi- 
nal of the gocfs, is represented in Heathen 
mythology as being divested of his power by his 
children ; a palpable absurdity, that the source 
of power should be overcome by those who 
derive thence their strength ; and a violation of 
the dictates of Conscientiousnes, which com- 
mands us, as being just, to reverence our pa- 
rents. 

Some writers, however, have attempted to 
show, that the religion of the Greeks was, even 
in this matter, rational, and consequently just. 
6 



62 

I We are told by them, that the great foundation 
of the Grecian mythology is, one wise and benev- 
olent God, diffusing happiness around, and pro- 
tecting his creatures by dispensations equally 
wise and benevolent. This is a fact giving 
support to the proposition by showing, that once 
the impression of a being, in whom justice, 
mercy, and unity, attributes recognised by Con- 
scientiousness, Benevolence, and Causality, with 
Comparison, are constituents, had its abode in 
the human mind. Of this, further notice will be 
taken hereafter. We are, in addition, told that 
the various gods implied only the peculiar opera- 
tions of nature, as they were beneficial to man ; 
and mythology consists of the personification of 
abstract qualities, of the sources of our chief 
benefits, or of different allegorical representa- 
tions. But this does not justify the multiplica- 
tion of deities, and does not make it more 
consistent in the eye of our faculties, that men 
should worship objects made : for their decision 
is, that we should venerate the source whence 
all the providential manifestations and virtues 
flow. It may be said, that the philosophers, the 
initiated, did so. They saw through the in- 
ferior deities to the one true God. It is possi- 



63 

ble : but Ideality says, that no likeness of Him 
by whom are all things, and to whom, and in 
whom, all things consist, can possibly be made. 
If it be urged, that it is to help the worshippers 
to raise their minds, Ideality, Hope, and Won- 
der dispute the need of this ; * yea, they spurn 
such, or any assistance, and boast that their 
powers are sufficient to wing even such a lofty 
flight. 

In order to show, more fully, the discordance 
which subsists, between the decision of our 
mental faculties upon the object fit for our 
adoration, and those deities, said, by the above 
writers, to be representations of virtues, it 
may be well to consider a few. 

Jupiter is the head. It is true that be holds 
the thunder and lightning in his hand ; and, 
in this, is approved by our Cautiousness, but is 



* It is true that the practices of Roman Catholi- 
cism, and of Church of Englandism, may be brought 
in opposition to this ; but then these practices can be 
recognised only by those in a very inferior state of mind, 
and will pass away when men become enlightened. 
These practices are the children of the darkness of Pagan- 
ism, and will cease to exist when the sun of Christianity 
shines clear, 



64 



abhorred by our Conscientiousness, being rep- 
resented without natural affection, as a violator 
of virtue, of the marriage-bed, and as an in- 
ventor of the most abominable contrivances to 
gratify his lust. Juno truly is a malicious 
dame, being full of envy, pride, malice, and 
practising unheard-of cruelties on the objects 
of her hatred. Venus represented love, not 
the pure flame of affection, but the destructive 
element of passion ; and the nature of her 
character is well exhibited by the nature of the 
worship offered, prostitution : look at Corinth. 
Mercury was the God of thieves ; and the 
circumstance which gained him his deification, 
was, his knavery. Saturn is represented as 
destroying and eating his own children. Mars 
is a bloody, murderous, mad, cowardly fool. 
Pluto is the god of hell, and of riches. It is 
true that Minerva, Ceres, and Proserpine are 
better than the rest. Bring these boasted dei- 
ties of Greece and Rome to the bar of Vene- 
ration, to have the decision of our mental 
faculties, Causality and Comparison, guided by 
pure Benevolence and unbiassed Conscientious- 
ness, and what will be their judgment with 
respect to the question, whether these are fit 



65 



objects for adoraton? They will, they must 
decide in the negative : they will say, " these 
are no gods." 

The Romans deified other objects : they gave 
the divinity ship to Paleness, to Fear, to Disease, 
and erected temples for their worship. And 
what do the above faculties say to this deifica- 
tion and adoration ? They say it is not con- 
sistent with our constitution, that any one 
mental faculty should worship the manifestations 
of other mental faculties ; and Benevolence 
will never consent that its possessor should bow 
before such loathed objects. 

The phrenologist will have perceived another 
mark of degradation in these objects of adora- 
tion, inasmuch as, with a few exceptions, they 
are deifications of our animal propensities, and, 
what is worse, of their misdirections : thus, 
Venus is an emblem of misguided Amativeness ; 
Saturn of deficient Philoprogenitiveness ; the 
Romans often sacrificed Justice to Friendship, a 
misdirection of Adhesiveness ; Mars is a good 
representation of misguided Destructiveness and 
Combativeness. Mercury is a figure for Secre- 
tiveness, misdirected to thieving, and so with 
the rest. Thus the animal propensities have 
6* 



66 



been elevated above the moral sentiments, con- 
trary to the phrenological and scriptural doc- 
trine, that the latter are supreme: the organs 
of the moral feelings being placed at the crown 
of the head. 

The deities of the Romans and Greeks have 
been brought forward, not with the view of 
presenting the most horrible portraits, but the 
best ; for these are what the wisdom of Greece, 
and the gigantic greatness of Rome, gave birth 
to, and acknowledged. 

Philosophy has ever presumed to scorn the 
ignorance of mankind. It may, therefore, be 
fairly expected, that, in its doctrines, we shall 
find some gleams of truth, some more exalted 
notions of the Deity. And, as the friends of 
philosophical knowledge pretended to be free 
from the superstitions of the commonalty, we 
may reasonably hope to discover in their 
creed, some views more consistent with the 
irremovable decisions of the mental faculties. 
As the best example of the deities of philoso- 
phers, the portrait of the Hindoo God, as given 
in the institutes of Menu, may be presented. 
In the Vedanti philosophy, evidently Platonic, 
the Almighty, known by the mystical and in- 



67 



communicable appellation of O'M., is the only 
being; and all others, including Brahma, 
Vishnu, and Madeva, are only thft creatures of 
idea or perception, which will perish in the 
general annihilation, while O'M. alone survives 
through all eternity. In the translation of a 
Persic version of the Yoog Vashesti, a very 
ancient composition in Sanscrit, the following 
curious sentence is contained; "You are not 
to consider Vishnu, Brahma, or Madeva, and 
other incorporate beings as the deity, although 
they have each the denomination of deva or 
divine : these are all created, whilst the Supreme 
Being is without beginning or end, unformed 
and uncreated ; worship and adore him." Be- 
fore we obey this injunction, it will be necessary 
to be further acquainted with this Being's char- 
acter. Upon examination we find not much to 
admire. It is true, that this deity made a dis- 
tinction between right and wrong ; but it seems, 
that after the work of Creation was completed, 
the Hindoo Creator interfered little or nothing 
in the management of the concerns of the world. 
The Hindoo philosophers held, that he was un- 
limited in extent, and unequalled in authority. 
They held also inferior deities, whom they en- 



68 



dued with divine attributes : and thus introduced 
Polytheism into their system. Respecting fu- 
ture rewards and punishments, as far as the 
author has been able to learn, nothing, or little 
more than nothing, is said. Conscientiousness 
may, to a certain extent, approve of this being : 
but Benevolence cannot look with pleasure on 
his stoical indifference ; Hope cannot contem- 
plate him with delight; nor Cautiousness with 
anxiety. 

It was my intention to present individual por- 
traits of the god of each philosopher. But on 
minutely examining the subject, there is so little 
congruity, the same person having different no- 
tions in different parts of his works, or of his 
life, as to defy all exactness of portraiture. 
Those who wish to know more on this matter, 
and to be convinced that the author asserts the 
truth, need but turn their attention to Enfield's 
translation of Brucker, or to Brucker's work 
"itself: and to the scholar, 1 know of nothing 
that will exhibit the uncertainty of feature of 
the deities of the philosophers with more brevity 
and beauty, than Xenophon's remarks concern- 
ing the gods. In this he introduces the opinions 
of his master, Socrates, who is represented as 



69 



pointing out the duty of modesty towards the 
gods ; as illustrating their benevolence, provi- 
dence, continual watchfulness, and anxiety con- 
cerning men, and the impossibility of perceiving 
them. The philosopher states the character of 
Him, who made and preserves the world ; in 
whom every thing useful, lovely, and good ex- 
ists, as not liable to injury, disease, or old age : 
as infallible, and as governing the whole uni- 
verse. Yet we find that he gives the duties or 
offices of providence to others, and does not 
confine them to this one Being; and as a most 
striking instance of the uncertainty of character 
in the Socratic deity, we find the philosopher, 
as his last command, ordering a cock to be 
sacrificed to Esculapius. It need not be re- 
peated how such contrarieties are in opposition 
to our mental faculties. 

The atheistical notions of the ancient philo- 
sophers are clearly illustrated in the paper on 
Atheism, in the Edinburgh Encyclopedia. To 
this, and the above works, the reader is refer- 
red; and he will find, taking the faculties as 
demonstrated by Phrenology for his touching- 
stone, not one of the many deities to stand the 
test. 



70 



These remarks will be closed by a portrait of 
the Epicurean God, which, as drawn by a hea- 
then philosopher, Seneca, is the most perfect 
we have. " Epicurus fancies God to be without 
power, and without arms : above fear himself, 
and as little to be feared. He places him 
betwixt the orbs, solitary and idle ; out of the 
reach of mortals, and neither hearing our pray- 
ers, nor minding our concerns ; and allows him 
only such a veneration and respect as we pay 
to our parents.'' * Of this being our faculties 
cannot approve. Our Causality and Comparison 
cannot recognise a God without power ; our 
Veneration, combined with the other faculties, 
denies both that God is not to be feared, and 
that the reverence due to him is not greater 
than that we owe to our parents. Our Benevo- 
lence will not allow of a God who is not engaged 
in benevolent providences ; and Conscientious- 
ness cannot recognise a being not exercising 
justice. 

Amidst this variety of divinityships, we can- 
not find one portraiture that claims the ap- 
probation of our mental faculties. All have 

* Seneca de Beneficiis. 



71 



some blot, some stain, that renders them, as 
usurpations of the Divine character, hideous 
to behold. And, if we direct our attention 
from them to the God of the Deists of modern 
times, something more consistent, but, in one 
respect, glaringly defective, will be seen. It is 
true, that deistical diligence has worked out a 
being, in whom are many beautiful traits of 
character. It is one of their own making; and 
is nothing more than a melange of whatever 
pleased them in the gods of heathen idolatry, 
and in the Author of Christianity. But one 
feature condemns this creature of fancy ; and 
this is, that justice does not hold a part in its 
character. The violated law, whether of nature 
or of revelation, is overlooked by the Deist's 
God; whereas, Conscientiousness, a primitive 
faculty of man's mind, calls aloud for punish- 
ment upon every offender against any just com- 
mands. The Deists represent God as merciful, 
but not as just. Of this Deity, our faculties, 
unbiassed, cannot allow ; and man cannot, by 
their unanimous consent, bow before such a 
being ; for, though it is true that God is a God 
of mercy, he is enabled to show forth this lovely 
trait, only as connected with justice. Deists 



72 



boast of leaving to Christians the God of reve- 
lation, and taking to themselves the God of 
nature ; but, if this view be correct, they em- 
brace a shadow, not a substance ; a being, 
neither in nature nor in revelation. 

As yet, the glorious object has not dawned. 
Are we left in this unpleasant deficiency ? Is 
there no being on whom our Conscientiousness, 
Benevolence, Hope, Causality, Comparison, 
Cautiousness, and Love of approbation will 
alight ? Is there no being in whom Justice, 
Mercy, Glory, Infinity, Power, and Holiness 
shine forth as constituent features ? We have 
such a Being, who is the God of revelation. 
In order to prove this, we must have recourse 
to revelation itself, and take its testimonies 
concerning its Author. 

As a prominent feature, we find the Unity of 
the Deity. * Equally so are the attributes of 
Love (indeed it is said, " God is love"), Mer- 
cy,! Goodness, | Wisdom, § Power, || Omnipre- 

* Exod. xx. 3; Deut. iv. 35. 39. 

t Exod. xxxiv. 6 ; Joel xi. 13 ; 2 Cor. i. 3. 

$ Psalm lxxxvi. 5 ; Psalm cxlv. 9. 

§ Psalm xliv ; Acts xv. 18 ; Heb. iv. 13 ; Psalm civ. 24. 

|| Igaiah xiv. 24; Dan. iii. 17, 29; Rom. i. 20. 



73 



sence,* Immutability, t Justice, t and Holiness. § 
Wc are taught that He is every where — that 
nothing is hidden from his eye — and that He 
will briiiT everv secret thing to light, whether 
it be good or evil. The Christian's God is 
represented as being ''jealous'' 5 of His honor, 
and will not give his glory to another. This, 
and all other traits in the God of revelation, 
our faculties, unbiassed, delight to contemplate. 
It is here that Veneration finds its resting- 
place; here, alone, that happiness is to be 
found ; here, that the creature discovers the 
image in which he was created. 

It is hoped that the truth of the fourth prop- 
osition is now fully seen : That it will appear, 
that man, being constrained by the constitution 
of his mind to worship some being, can ap- 
prove of the God of Christianity only as 
the fit object of worship, 

I am well aware that objections may be 
started against this view, by having recourse 



* Psalm exxxix. 7. 

t Malachi iii. 6 ; James i. 17. 

$ Gen. xviii. 25 ; Deut. xxxii. 4; Rev. xv. S. 

§ Lev. xix. 2 ; 1 Sam. ii. 2 ; Isaiah vi. 3 ; Rev. iv. 8. 



74 



to the particular character of the God of reve- 
lation, as exhibited in the facts forming the 
foundations of Christianity ; but, as this part 
of the argument embraces merely the general 
character ; and as the nature of these facts will 
be fully illustrated hereafter, the conclusion 
remains indisputable, that the God of Christi- 
anity, as to his general character, is the only 
one approved of by our unbiassed faculties; 
and, being so, we are justified in concluding, 
that the Author of this system is the Creator of 
our frames, the Former of our mental constitu- 
tion. 

Well, then, may the Christian disciple adopt 
the language of Paul and say, " For though 
there be indeed, what, by the heathen are called 
gods, whether in heaven or in earth ; as there 
are in their estimation many gods and many 
lords, yet to us there is but one God, the 
Father, from whom all things are, and we are 
formed for him ; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, 
by whom all things are, and we are saved by 
him." — 1 Corinthians viii. 5, 6. 



PART II 



Having proved that the unbiassed decision 
of the intellectual and moral faculties leads to 
the approval of the God of Christianity as the 
object of adoration, because that God is, in His 
attributes, one that can admit of the activity of 
the whole of these faculties ; and having shown 
that man, instead of bowing in reverence be- 
fore this his Maker, has bended his knee before 
a Venus, a deification of lust ; a Mars, an 
emblem of war and all its horrors ; a Jupiter, 
a similitude of a buccaneer, despising laws 
civil, domestic, and religious ; and others 
equally bad ; it naturally arises as a question, 
how has this taken place ? And when we see, 
in addition, that man still bows before the 
creatures of his lust, before some inferior ob- 
ject, which he considers perfection, the question 
is still more powerfully pressed home, and an 



76 

impulsive feeling leads to the inquiry, how it is 
that the world by wisdom knew not God ? 

The replies to these inquiries, as well as 
other important points, will be treated of in 
this, the second part of the dissertation ; and, 
in order that this paradox may be unravelled, 
the argument drawn from the particular char- 
acter of God, as exhibited in the means for 
obtaining and preserving his favor, coinciding 
with the constitution of the human mind as 
demonstrated by Phrenology, will be brought 
forward and illustrated. 



The fifth proposition to be examined is, 
That man naturally can do nothing good 
in the sight of God, and that Christianity 
recognises this inability. 

It has been hinted, that in the earlier ages of 
Greece and Rome, some faint ideas of one wise 
and intelligent Being are perceptible. This, 
no doubt, was the result of the faculties which, 
unbiassed, lead to the God of Christianity as 
the fit object for adoration, not being totally 



77 



overpowered by the animal propensities. Still 
the ignorance respecting the Supreme was gen- 
eral ; so much so, that Lactantius says of Plato, 
" Plato somniaverat Deum, non cognoverat ; " 
" Plato had dreamed about, but had not known, 
God." And Seneca remarks, " Nemo novit 
Deum ; multi de illo male existimant et impu- 
ne." Ep. xxxi. " No one has known God ; 
many think wickedly and without punishment 
respecting him." So great, however, was the 
blindness, that even the Jews themselves, who 
were favored by revelations from the God of 
Christianity, continually forgot him, and fell 
into the idolatries of the surrounding nations. 

Seeing, then, that the faculties, unbiassed, 
lead to the choice of the God of Christianity, 
and bearing in mind the fact, that none have 
ever chosen this Being, we must conclude in 
the existence of a general change in human 
nature, and that for the worse. Indeed, in any 
way to account for this ignorance of man, we 
must conclude that some evil change has taken 
place in his mental constitution; and the des- 
perately wicked nature of this is shown in the 
effect, that it has alienated his mind from 
God. 



78 

In order that we may be enabled to under- 
stand more fully the matters treated of in the 
fourth proposition, a few remarks will be made 
upon the nature of this change. 

In order to investigate this important subject, 
it is necessary to remark, that Phrenology 
proves we have certain mental faculties, belong- 
ing also to animals, and others, peculiarly our 
own. The former form what has been called 
the " animal nature," the latter, the " human 
nature;" and the principal of these latter to 
be noticed are Benevolence, Veneration, Con- 
scientiousness, and the intellectual reflective 
faculties. Through the following paces the 
terms are used in these senses. A similar dis- 
tinction exists in the Bible : the " animal na- 
ture " being designated by the word " flesh," 
" the human," by the name " spirit." The 
animal nature is, according to the observations 
of phrenologists, the predominating, and calls 
into obedience to its dictates all the other fac- 
ulties. This, intended to give force to the 
human, and to be under its sway, has (as is 
proved by the fact, that no one has chosen the 
God approved of by the faculties constituting 
the latter nature) gained the ascendency; has 



79 



taken the rein, and lashes man on to misery and 
destruction. The effect of this is, that the 
moral sentiments, Benevolence, Veneration, 
Conscientiousness, &c, constituting an impor- 
tant part of the human nature, instead of being 
directed to God, as being love, (the proper object 
of Benevolence ;) as being just, (the suited end 
for Conscientiousness ;) as being above all, (the 
lawful outlet of Veneration;) as being unchange- 
able, (the delight of Hope ;) are made to be 
subservient to Adhesiveness, so as to make us 
supremely attached to friends ; to love of Appro- 
bation, to render us obsequiously kind to the 
great ; and to Cautiousness, to make us just. 
And, from the evidence of the fact already estab- 
lished, such is the sway these animal propensities 
have gained, that, unless man is delivered by 
some extraordinary power from their thraldom, 
he cannot direct the human nature to the proper 
object. It appears, then, that our animal nature 
is continually opposing our human, and the one 
prevents the other from following its own course. 
Thus the author of Christianity observes, " That 
light is come into the world, and men loved dark- 
ness rather than light, because their deeds were 
evil;" or, in phrenological language, a being 



80 



came into the world, who was actuated by Benev- 
olence, Conscientiousness, and Veneration in the 
highest degree : that men, who lived and acted 
under the influence of their animal nature, did 
not love this exhibition of the supremacy of the 
human; and, that being so biassed, they would 
not receive the deliverance offered, but preferred 
to remain under the thraldom of the animal dis- 
positions. And the continual opposition between 
these two natures is testified to, by an apostle, 
who says, the " flesh lusteth against the spirit, 
and the spirit against the flesh ; " and who in- 
forms us also, that " the carnal mind is enmity 
against God, and is not subject to the law of 
God, neither indeed can be." And, so powerful 
is the effect of the animal nature, that " there is 
none that understandeth, there is none that seek- 
eth after God," Rom. iii. 2, Ephes. iv. 18, as 
has been shown. 

As long, then, as the supremacy is maintained 
by the animal nature, so long man can do noth- 
ing good in the sight of God ; for it has been 
proved by phrenology, that unless actions are 
performed from the motives arising from Benevo- 
lence, Conscientiousness, and Veneration, there 
is in them nothing virtuous. The reason of this 



81 

depends upon a phrenological principle, that all 
the faculties, but the three just mentioned, have 
self for their object. For illustrations, see Phre- 
nological Journal, Vol. iii. No. 12. Now, it is 
well known, that wherever self is concerned, no 
virtue can exist ; for virtue is ascribed only to 
those actions which result from Benevolence, 
Veneration, and Conscientiousness, faculties, not 
having self directly as their aim. These three 
have a relation to God, producing, in their un- 
biassed exercise, love to God ; and, in their rela- 
tion to man, love to man ; the two great prin- 
ciples of the moral law. We here see the 
superiority of the human nature over the animal ; 
and have the most striking evidence of the change 
in man, and of the fact, that he can do nothing 
good in the sight of God, when we consider that 
the animal nature holds over these an almost 
unlimited sway, preventing the moral sentiments 
free exercise in loving God and in loving man. 

The necessity of these three faculties being 
exercised in doing any thing good in the sight 
of God, is borne witness to by the Scriptures. 
The prophet Micah thus writes, he " hath showed 
thee, O man, what is good ; and what doth the 
Lord require of thee, but to do justly (the dictate 



82 

of Conscientiousness), and to love mercy (the 
dictate of Benevolence), and to walk humbly 
with thy God (the dictate of Veneration), ch. 
vi. 8. The prophet Hosea gives the same view ; 
" Therefore turn- thou to thy God : keep mercy 
and judgment, and wait on thy God continu- 
ally," ch. xii. 6. Jesus Christ gives the same 
interpretation of what is good in the sight of 
God. He is reproving the Pharisees, " Woe unto 
you, Scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites ! for ye 
pay tithe of mint, anise, and cummin, and have 
omitted the weightier matters of the law, judg- 
ment, mercy, and faith (outgoings of Conscien- 
tiousness, Benevolence, Veneration, and Hope) ; 
these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the 
other undone. " Matt, xxiii. 23. 

Herein is a striking coincidence between the 
decisions of phrenological science, and the dicta 
of Christianity : the former, affording a positive 
proof of the doctrine of the latter, that man can 
do nothing good in the sight of God ; an inabil- 
ity dependant upon the fact, that the animal pro- 
pensities rule ; a dominion constituting a corrupt 
bias, attended with the misdirection of Benevo- 
lence, Veneration, and Conscientiousness, by the 
proper direction of which, only, good can be 
brought out. 



83 

It thus appears that man can do nothing good 
in the sight of God. But this is not the whole 
extent of the evil; for man is of necessity evil: 
and though some maintain that man can love and 
worship God, when he likes * so to do, this is a 
false position, as will be immediately shown. 



* Yes ; when he likes to do so, he can ; but the truth 
is, that he never does like to do so, while the predomi- 
nance of his animal nature continues; and, moreover, 
while that predominance continues he never can " like," 
to love and worship God : just as, while hatred predomi- 
nates, towards a man, we never can love him. Yet we 
say " a man can love if he likes ; but the difficulty con- 
sists in making, or enabling him to like. In the case of 
the soul exercising love to God, the excellency of the 
Christian religion consists, in its adaptednessand ability to 
overcome the hostility of man to God ; — that is, to over- 
power the " animal nature," by exciting to activity the 
" human nature." This it does, by the exhibitions it 
makes, of the benevolence of God. When this is revealed 
to the Moral Sentiments, through the Intellect, by the 
Holy Spirit — "We love Him, because He first loved 
us." We then, "like "or choose to love him, in fact, 
and the position is not a false one, that we can love God 
if we like. Against this position, thus explained, the 
pious author has, elsewhere, shown, that he would not 
object. Am. Ed. 



84 

Necessity is a word, which, on account of the 
different meanings attached to it, needs explana- 
tion. By necessity, I mean, that man acts from 
certain fixed principles, the laws of his nature. 
These laws have such an influence, and are so 
unbending, that, whenever actions are conforma- 
ble thereto, happiness is the result ; when not, 
misery is the consequence. The physical world 
is guided by fixed laws; or is, in other words, 
under necessity. Thus, as long as the law of 
gravitation acts, the earth and other planets must 
roll round the sun. So it is in the mental world. 
Certain laws have been fixed to guide our facul- 
ties, and we must act according to them. Let 
not the reader be startled : for, with all humil- 
ity be it said, the Creator himself is under this 
kind of necessity ; for He cannot look upon sin 
but with the greatest abhorrence and detestation. 
It has been seen, that the animal nature gives its 
dictates contrary to the dictates of the human ; 
an evidence of an evil change ; and it has been 
proved by observation, that the power of the 
former is supreme. As long then as it retains 
this supremacy, so long must man act in a way 
contrary to the dictates of the human nature; 
and as it is only when the actions are dictated 



85 



by the latter that they are good, it is evident that 
man is, of necessity, evil. 

It may perhaps be said, that by cultivating 
the moral sentiments and intellectual faculties, 
and adopting every method to diminish the ani- 
mal propensities, we may at length rear up a 
power capable of resisting the predominating 
influence of the last class of faculties. No 
doubt ; but what means, in the present state of 
society, can be efficacious in realizing this? The 
efficacy of the means commonly made use of will 
be shown in the examination of the fifth proposi- 
tion ; wherein the means, which God has 
proffered for this purpose, will be investi- 
gated. Man, therefore, is a creature, of neces- 
sitv, evil; and this part of the subject will be 
closed by an example, wherein the impossibility 
of his changing the evil direction, and conse- 
quently the necessary evil tendency of his nature, 
are most strikingly seen. It is taken from Jewish 
History. The people of Israel had been deliv- 
ered by wondrous miracles from Pharaoh's pow- 
er ; the sea had separated in their presence ; 
manna had been showered upon them from 
heaven ; they had seen water gush out of the 
solid rock ; yet, in spite of all these exhibitions 
8 



86 



of divine power, they, after the absence of Moses 
in the mount for forty days, called upon Aaron 
to make a calf that they might worship it. And 
what is more, this very people, some centuries 
after, in spite of having suffered numberless 
afflictions for leaving the worship of the true 
God, are thus complained of in the book contain- 
ing their history ; " My people ask counsel at 
their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them." 
Hosea iv. 12. Can there be a stronger evidence 
of the necessarily evil tendency of the mind of 
man ? 



The second part of this proposition, That 
Christianity recognises us in this state, 
is now for consideration. In proof of this, all 
that is necessary will be to bring forward a few 
statements contained in the volume in which 
this system is embodied. So abundant are these, 
that the only difficulty is, which to select. The 
apostle Paul, writing to the Romans, makes the 
following statements, not, as his own, but as the 
words of inspiration; "We have before proved 
both Jews and Gentiles, that they all are under 



87 



sin ; as it is written, * there is none righteous, 
no, not one. There is none that understandeth ; 
there is none that seeketh after God. They are 
all gone out of the way ; they are together be- 
come unprofitable ; there is none that clocth good, 
no not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre ; 
with their tongues they have used deceit ; the 
poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is 
full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are 
swift to shed blood ; destruction and misery are 
in their ways ; and the way of peace have they 
not known. There is no fear of God before 
their eyes.' 5; Rom. iii. 9-19. And it is re- 
lated in Genesis vi. 5, " And God saw that the 
wickedness of man was great in the earth, and 
that every imagination of the thoughts of his 
heart was only evil continually" The word, 
translated imagination, embraces not only imagi- 
nation, but also the purposes and desires. No 
language can be more special ; and, when we 
add to the above, the forcible inquiries, " Can 
the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his 
spots?" it cannot be doubted that the doctrine 
of man being necessarily evil, that is, as con- 
nected with any means of his own, for deliver- 
ance, is a feature of the Christian system. And 



88 



as an additional proof, the Christian is taught, 
that he is unable to do any thing good of himself. 
John xv. 4. 



The sixth proposition is now to be considered. 
It is this, — That the means to be employed 

TO OBTAIN AND PRESERVE God's FAVOR ARE 
IN CONFORMITY TO THE CHARACTER OF MAN, AS 
NECESSARILY EVIL. 

It has been already stated, that the end of all 
religions is to obtain the favor of God, and that 
their subject consists of the means to be em- 
ployed for the obtainment. How then shall a 
creature, necessarily evil, obtain the favor of 
his Creator, who is necessarily good ? If we 
review the black pages of ancient history, we 
shall find many means made use of, alike repug- 
nant to reason, and to humanity. Men, not con- 
tent with sacrificing their flocks and herds to 
appease and propitiate the offended deity, have 
immolated their children,* a practice which our 



* In South Africa, in the Felatah country, Mr. Old- 
field, who accompanied Lander in his two expeditions up 



89 

mental constitution will never permit us to con- 
sider as suited to satisfy the justice of a just and 
good God. Our Benevolence cries out against 
the latter; and, against the former, Causality 
and Comparison protest the absurdity of offering 
to God, as an atonement for offences, that which 
is God's own. 

As to man doing any thing for himself, this is 
impossible. All that he does is evil. He cannot 
be justified by the deeds of the law, because he 
cannot do them ; his very constitutional corrup- 
tion leading him continually to violate the first 
commandment, which enjoins a perfect love of 
God ; the duty, to the performance of which his 
unbiassed faculties lead. If, then, man does 
obtain the favor of God, it must be in a way 
that requires nothing to be done on his part : it 
must be something that will overcome the enmity 
of his heart, and make all his affections run into 
that original channel in which they flowed when 
he was first created. Is the plan which Chris- 
tianity recognises, as efficient to obtain the Divine 



the Niger, informed the writer, it is common now to offer 
the bodies often men at a time, as a sacrifice to the god 
of the river, or to some of the gods of the country. 

8* 



90 

favor, in accordance hereto ? It is : nothing is 
required of man but what the most degraded is 
capable of: man is commanded to believe the 
testimony of God. This is all in all : this is 
the first step to favor, indeed it is the only step. 
The testimony is this : " God so loved the world, 
that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoso- 
ever believeth on him should not perish, but have 
everlasting life." Such is the nature of this testi- 
mony, that whosoever accounts it as a faithful 
saying, and worthy of all acceptation, is so 
changed, that he is said to be born again. The 
carnal mind, or animal nature, is made to fall 
under the dominion of the spiritual, or human 
nature ; and the man thus renewed from being 
a hater, becomes a lover, of God. Being thus 
brought under the sway of the moral sentiments 
and intellectual faculties, actions now spring 
from these sources ; Benevolence, Veneration, 
and Conscientiousness, conjoined with the Intel- 
lect, being busily engaged in exciting to pur- 
suits, having the love of God and the love of man 
for their source, and the glory of the Creator and 
the happiness of the creature for their end. 

A question now occurs, how can it be proved, 
that these means are efficacious in producing this 



91 

change, and its effects? For, lamentable indeed 
it is, if we were to judge on this point from the 
lives of many of the professed disciples of Christ, 
the conclusion must be, that the means are un- 
able to bring about the end : but we shall leave 
these characters, to consider the doctrine. 
Phienology demonstrates, that, in the human 
mind, Benevolence Veneration, Conscientious- 
ness, Hope, Causality, and Comparison, and 
other intellectual faculties, exist; and that these, 
their proper excitement being applied, must act. 
Kindness must excite Benevolence ; a deed of 
justice must awaken Conscientiousness ; and so, 
with the rest. The emotion produced, moreover, 
will have a strength just in the proportion in 
which the faculty is large, and the exciting object 
influential; which influence will depend upon the 
object being clearly perceived. It has been 
shown, in addition, that the human is under the 
influence of the animal nature. Now, in order 
to deliver the former from the thraldom of the 
latter, it is necessary that such an influential ex- 
hibition of goodness, justice, and wisdom should 
be presented to the human nature, consisting 
of the above faculties, as to impart to them a 
power sufficient to overcome the bias of the ani- 



92 

mal. The facts of Christianity, regarding the 
means of obtaining God's favor, present this 
exhibition, and this must act in the way required, 
from the very constitution of the mind. This is 
boldly averred; as, from this constitution, Inno- 
cence, suffering for the guilty, pleads to Benevo- 
lence with a force that is irresistible; the Law- 
giver, bearing the punishment due to those who 
had broken His law, obliges Conscientiousness to 
be no longer dormant ; and the deliverance from 
the curse of the broken law, makes Hope to 
rejoice, and Cautiousness to cease its anxieties : 
except in so far, that now the fear is one depen- 
dant upon Benevolence and Veneration, a filial 
fear ; whereas, formerly it depended upon the 
faculty itself, and on Conscientiousness, being a 
fear of bondage. It thus appears, that the facts 
of Christianity must produce the effects stated ; 
and that the force of these facts is so great, as to 
overcome the bias of the animal nature, and to 
enable the human to bring every thought into 
subjection to God. 

It was remarked, that the influence of these 
facts depended upon their being clearly per- 
ceived. The want of their clear perception has 
made many persons, professing Christianity, to 



93 



remain with their hearts unchanged ; or, in other 
words, still to live under the power of their animal 
nature; the imperfect view they received not 
being sufficient to overcome the bias of the said 
nature. This shows the necessity of some en- 
lightening influence, to free the eyes from the 
scales which cover them ; and in this view 
Christianity coincides ; for we are perpetually 
told of the necessity of the Holy Spirit, who con- 
vinces " the world of sin, of righteousness, and 
of judgment." It is, therefore, to be maintained, 
that the perception is to be made clear; that is, 
a power, superadded to the facts of Christianity 
is necessary to clear the power of the mental 
vision, to perceive the facts ; and that the Holy 
Spirit is necessary, not because the truth is in- 
sufficient in itself, but because the opposition of 
the depraved misdirection of man's faculties can 
be overcome only by the facts being clearly 
viewed ; which clearness of view can be obtained 
only through the agency of the Holy Spirit. A 
man on the brink of a precipice, and perceiving 
that he is about to fall, is thankful to his deliv- 
erer, or to one who offers deliverance : but one 
lying in a state of torpor, is angry that he is 
disturbed, though the next moment his limbs 



94 



should be scattered to the winds. So it is with 
men, respecting the truths of Christianity. One 
principal part of their animal nature is self- 
esteem : this, biassed, leads to self-confidence and 
pride, and prevents man from perceiving his real 
condition. In order to overcome this blinding 
influence, and to enable him to see the danger 
to which he is exposed, the Spirit of God is nec- 
essary to convince him of sin; or, in other words, 
so much to alter the bias of this faculty, as to 
prevent it from impeding his view. Hence it is, 
that humility is the characteristic of every one 
who has been so delivered ; and the Author of 
the Christian system remarks, " Except ye be 
as little children, ye cannot enter the kingdom of 
heaven." How strikingly the natural laws agree 
with the revealed ! 

It may here, perhaps, be brought forward as 
a question: — When the moral sentiments are 
small, how can we expect the facts of Christian- 
ity to communicate to them such a power, as will 
enable their dictations to be superior to those of 
the animal propensities? To this it is replied, 
that an habitually selfish man often, under the 
influence of a peculiarly powerful motive, does a 
generous deed. The performance of this deed 



95 

depends upon the power of the motive exciting 
to action. So with Christians with small moral 
sentiments. The facts of Christianity present so 
powerful a motive exciting these, that their dicta- 
tions become more potent than those of the ani- 
mal nature. Every one, moreover, acknowledges 
the difference between Christians. We have 
some meek Christians : some impetuous : some 
zealous : some timid and retiring : some deep- 
* thinking: others more superficial in their mental 
exercises. These differences are to be ascribed 
to their previous mental constitution, the essen- 
tial nature of which is not destroyed, but 
merely altered in its direction. Thus Paul was 
the same zealous, fearless, intellectual being after, 
as before, his conversion. 

An important question now presents itself; 
Can this deliverance from the thraldom of the 
animal propensities be effected by any other 
means ? Philosophy has boasted that it can. By 
cultivating the intellect, and studying works of 
taste, the wise man of this world refines his 
character : a delicacy is acquired, which makes 
its possessor scorn every thing gross in manners, 
and base in principle. He pursues the path of 
morality, not so much from loving it, as from 



96 

an opposite journey being beneath his dignity. 
Thus his Self-esteem is his grand support ; and 
though " he is as far removed from the grade of 
the sensualist, as the lion is from that of the mole, 
still both are unregenerated animal nature." Ac- 
cording to this system of deliverance, no Benevo- 
lence is excited, no Conscientiousness is awak- 
ened, no Veneration is called forth. These are 
allowed still to wander from their proper object : 
and the man, instead of being humbled, is 
puffed up ; for " knowledge puffeth up, but love 
edifieth." 

It will be thus seen, that modern philosophy 
cannot change the bias ; and we have sufficient 
evidence, that ancient philosophy did not pro- 
duce any such renewal ; and we must, therefore, 
conclude, that as Christianity will, it is the only 
system that can have this effect. Indeed, bear- 
ing this in mind, we may with justice say of 
those philosophers, who try to bring about this 
change by their own means, " Behold, all ye 
that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about 
with sparks ; walk in the light of your fire, and 
in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall 
ye have of mine hand ; ye shall lie down in sor- 
row." Isa. 1. 11. 



97 



Christianity, then, produces its effects by en- 
lightening the mind, and gives such a powerful 
impulse to Benevolence, Veneration, and Con- 
scientiousness, as to enable them to overcome 
the power of the animal propensities, which, 
when 'predominantly active, not only iceaken, but 
blind the former. This change being produced, 
man is enabled to do good in the sight of God ; 
that is, as long as he acts from his human facul- 
ties. But as the animal propensities still re- 
main, and are ever inclined to wander in the old 
direction, to assume their original sway, it is 
necessary that the objects presented by Christi- 
anity should ever be kept in view ; because it is 
only by attending to this, that the power neces- 
sary to the human faculties to resist the attempt 
of conquest over them, can be preserved. In 
conformity to this view, the Christian is com- 
manded " to live by faith; " that is, he is contin- 
ually to bear in mind the glorious truths forming 
the foundation of the Christian system, which 
are so many motives exciting to generous activ- 
ity his moral sentiments. It thus appears, that 
faith is the beginning of every thing good in the 
6ight of God ; and Christianity testifies, that 
" whatsoever is not of faith is sin." Rom. xiv. 
9 



98 

23 : and Christians are further commanded to 
add to their faith virtue. Indeed, so necessary- 
is this faith, that it must be the principle of life; 
for a person cannot be said to live by it, unless 
it acts in him as the source of all his actions. 

This proposition is thus established ; and the 
accordance between Phrenology and Christi- 
anity has been seen ; an accordance in examin- 
ing the last part of this proposition, to be seen 
more fully. 



The obtaining of God's favor is, therefore, the 
first step towards the right performance of any 
Christian duty. The love to God, and the love 
of man, produced by the faith, induce an earnest 
desire to preserve the favor thus obtained. Be- 
nevolence having been excited, rejoices in obedi- 
ence ; and, in order to obey, the Christian 
attends to the command of the Being, whose love 
has excited his faculties to love, and to study the 
word of God; to take it as a lamp to his path, 
and a light to his way. The believer, in exam- 
ining the Scriptures, finds his own feelings em- 
bodied in the two short sentences, " Thou shalt 
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and 



99 



soul, and mind ; " and " thou shalt love thy 
neighbour as thyself." And, to prevent him from 
erring in the application of these precepts, the 
word of God is full of instructions, adapted to 
every circumstance of life. In the performance 
of these two duties, the faculties which are su- 
preme, are Benevolence, Veneration, Conscien- 
tiousness, Hope, and Ideality, with Causality and 
Comparison. These have now obtained the 
sway ; but still the animal nature exists, and, 
though now brought under the power of those 
faculties constituting the human, is continually 
inclined to run into the old channel ; to rush 
into the service of sklf, rather than to be 
drawn into the noble employment of God and 
max. Indeed, though the power communi- 
cated by belief is sufficient, by the use of the 
means appointed, to overcome the animal na- 
ture, yet the power of the latter is not totally 
destroyed. The old man is crucified, not dead ; 
indeed, he cannot expire till this corruption is 
put off, and incorruption put on. The combat, 
therefore, must be continual. Christianity re- 
cognises this; the life of the Christian being 
compared to a fight, a race. The Christian is 
told, moreover, that " the flesh lusteth against 



100 

the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh : u and 
one of the most remarkable disciples of Christ 
exclaimed, in the agony of the conflict, " O 
wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me 
from the body of this death V 

The enemies of the Christian are not confined 
to himself. He has other foes ; and it is now 
to be shown, phrenologically, that as long as the 
Christian is such, and the world is the world, he 
must suffer persecution ; so long must the asser- 
tion of inspiration be verified, " Yea, and all that 
will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer perse- 
cution." 2 Tim. iii. 12. 

It appears from the observations made upon 
the fifth proposition, and the former part of this, 
that the animal nature preponderates over the 
human ; and, that as long as this holds the su- 
premacy, so long does man act from motives 
purely selfish. It is evident, then, that as in the 
majority of the human race, the animal nature 
is predominant, the institutions of society will 
be opposed to the human nature. This applies 
less to the fixed laws of justice, than to the cus- 
toms and the modes of society. For the very 
safety of the commonwealth makes legislators to 
frame laws upon the broad principles of equity ; 



101 

although, even in our legal code, we find maxims, 
regulations, and practices recognised, quite op- 
posed to sound reason and to liberty. Reference 
is made to test-acts, game-laws, and the sangui- 
nary punishments inflicted upon offenders.* But, 
for our present purpose, the opinions, the modes, 
and the customs of general society will afford 
abundant illustrations. 

It is an opinion generally held, that the love 
of distinction, honor, and fame is proper, enno- 
bling, and worthy of man. Every public building 
teems with images, before which, as representing 
illustrious dead, the youth of our land are taught 
to bow, and aspire at imitation. A Nelson is 
deified in one place, a Pitt in another, and a 
Fox in another. A Mansfield has a niche in the 
Legal Temple, a Curran in another, and a 
Brougham in a third. Indeed, everything is pre- 
sented to the sight, and through it to the imagi- 
nation, to cultivate a longing for immortality, not 
in the pure regions of never ending bliss, but in 

* It will, of course, be understood that the author refers 
to the laws of his own country ; and to the modifications 
which they give to society in that country. Let us be 
grateful for the degree in which our situation is superior 
>to that of the Mother-Country. Am. Ed. 
9* 



102 

the memory of man, itself to cease. To the bold 
and adventurous, fortune hangs out all her lau- 
rels ; the path of the peaceful virtue is the way 
of silence, and the destructive conqueror holds 
the highest pinnacle of fame. Christianity for- 
bids seeking* these honors, or desiring this 
fame, which comes from man. Higher objects 
are presented to the grasp of the Christian. He 
is commanded to seek not the honor that cometh 
from the world. Yet, in passing through this state 
of existence, many and powerful are the tempta- 
tions, having the tendency to lead his mind in 
the improper channel, and to make him seek the 
approbation of men rather than of God. 

Again : the world holds, that it is just to re- 
taliate injuries. Christianity maintains quite a 
different sentiment. " Love your enemies," is 
its precept. " Do good to them that despitefully 
use you," is another of its injunctions. In the 
world, dueling is fashionable; for although de- 

* Christianity does not bid a man to reject these hon- 
ors, if they come to him in the course of the performance 
of his duty. This mistaking the arrival of the honors, as 
a consequence of proper conduct, for the seeking of the 
honors themselves, has produced much disquiet in the 
minds of the good. 



103 

nounced, in the public press, as a general prac- 
tice, yet in individual cases, the duelists meet 
with approbation ; the excuse being, that they 
were obliged, by circumstances, to attempt to 
precipitate one another into the presence of a 
holy, good, and just God ! 

" It is remarkable, " says Dr. Spurzheim (Phi- 
losophy of Phrenology, p. 50), " that all codes, 
revealed or profane, with one exception, have 
declared the amor patrice, or love of country, a 
principal virtue. The Christian doctrine alone 
acknowledged no exclusionary patriotism : it 
alone commands universal love." Herein we see 
another point in which Christianity differs from 
the general opinions of mankind. And here we 
meet with an important confirmation of the 
necessity of faith, previous to attempting the per- 
formance of any Christian duty ; for, in order to 
feel this universal love, taught so simply and 
beautifully in the parable of the good Samaritan, 
it is necessary that the human nature be su- 
preme ; whereas, in none but Christians it is so. 
The necessity of this supremacy is evident, when 
we consider, that this love of country is the re- 
sult of a mere animal propensity, common not 
only to man, but dogs, cats, and other species of 
animals. 



104 

Again : in Christianity it is a doctrine, that 
father and mother, brother and sister, are not to 
stand in comparison with Christ. And the evan- 
gelist informs us, that when the mother of Jesus 
wished to see him, he replied, that all who did 
the will of his Father, were his mother, his sis- 
ters, and his brethren. This doctrine has always 
sounded harsh to the ears of men ; but when we 
remember, that the love of parents, children, 
relations, and friends is merely, in its origin, 
the result of the animal nature, and is com- 
mon to ourselves and beasts ; whereas the love of 
God, and obedience (its effect) are the consequen- 
ces of the supremacy of the human nature — we 
see the justness of the command. In fine, the 
love of the one is to be put aside, when that 
love interferes with the activity of the higher 
feelings. Why do men admire the conduct of 
Brutus in condemning his own sons? For this * 
subjugation. 



* Perhaps not, strictly, for this subjugation : but for 
one which approximates it: viz. the subjugation of a 
personal feeling to a national one : i. e. the preference 
of a general to a personal good. Am. Ed. 



105 

Another prominent feature in Christianity is, 
that he that is the humblest is the greatest. This 
is quite in conformity with the predominance of 
the human, over the animal nature ; for the love 
of superiority is dependant upon animal desires, 
namely, Love of Approbation and Self-Esteem ;•' 
whereas, Humility originates in Benevolence -and 
Veneration, guided by the intellect. Who can 
say, that the feature referred to is, at all gener- 
ally, recognised by mankind, as a practical 
truth ? 

Indeed, a volume could be filled with instan- 
ces, in which the precepts of the world and those 
of the gospel are at variance. And so diametrical 
is the opposition, that the God of Christianity as- 
serts, " If any man love the world, the love of 
the Father is not in him." 1 John ii. 15. 

Not only is the world opposed, but the devil 
also. With respect to the opposition hence aris- 
ing, this is known, that it is great. And how- 
ever much the songs of poets, the scoffs of the 
vulgar, and the moderating and temporalizing 
doctrines, and dignified sneers of philosophers, 
may have had the tendency to strip this enemy 
of man of his horrible character, and, thereby, 
to blind men to his nature, the Christian holds it 



106 

as an undeniable truth, because the God whom 
he loves says so, that this being, as a roaring 
J ion, goes about seeking whom he may devour. 
The devil is continually on the watch — he 
knows every one's weak point — tries one scheme, 
and then another, to seduce the Christian. At 
one -time, he uses poverty, and its unpleasant 
attendants; at another, presumption ; and when 
he finds them to fail, has recourse to prosperity 
and all its blandishments. This is the series of 
trials to which he had recourse, in tempting Jesus 
Christ, the Christian's great Exemplar, in the 
wilderness. It would be inconsistent with the 
limits of this dissertation to be more minute ; and 
we may close by remarking, that though an 
enemy to all mankind, he is peculiarly so to the 
Christian, often transforming himself into an 
angel of light, to lead the follower of the Lamb 
from the fold of God. 

Such are the enemies with which the Chris- 
tian has to cope. It now remains to be shown, 
that the means, appointed for defence, are 
such as will be sufficient to enable him to make 
a successful resistance. 

It has already been hinted, that the Christian's 
life is a fight : in conformity with this, he is said 



107 

" to fight the good fight of faith." How, then, 
is he enabled to maintain this combat? It ha9 
been proved, that man is a creature of necessity, 
and that this necessity, naturally, is towards evil. 
It has also been proved, that when a believer of 
the gospel, his faculties are directed into a differ- 
ent channel ; but that he is still the same weak 
character as he was before. He is unable, of 
himself, to do any thing good, as formerly. For 
though he loves good and God, yet, without 
assistance from above, so strong is the tendency 
of the animal desires, that, though to will is 
present with him, to perform he finds is not. 
But, according to the principles of Phrenology, 
as regarding necessity, as long as the love of 
God is the predominating motive, so long must 
the Christian, as far as he knows it, walk in the 
path of duty ; for " the love of God constraineth 
us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to 
walk soberly, righteously, and godly in this pres- 
ent evil world." Hence the necessity of being 
steadfast in faith, by which this love is continu- 
ally kept before the mind ; and hence the forci- 
ble beauty of the doctrine of the apostle Paul, 
" Thou standest by faith," (Rem. xi. iCO )and of 
the duty of living " by faith." 



108 

The love of God is, therefore, the moving 
spring in the machinery of the movements of the 
Christian's life. From the influence, however, 
of dampening unbelief, and the enervating op- 
pressiveness of the atmosphere of the world, in 
which the lover of God is, to a certain extent, 
obliged to move, this spring is liable to want of 
force and due vigor. How, then, may its tone 
be preserved ? It may rust : how is its polish 
to be kept untarnished] Or if tarnished, to be 
restored ? These questions are now to be an- 
swered ; and in answering them, an opportunity 
will be afforded, of showing some striking accord- 
ances between Phrenology and Christianity, 
since, in the means employed, we shall find the 
faculties demonstrated by the former science, 
continually appealed to. 

These means may be reduced under four 
heads ; precepts, example, rewards, and punish- 
ments ; the first, deriving their authority, in guid- 
ing the Christian, from Benevolence, and approved 
of by the intellectual faculties ; the second ap- 
' pealing to Imitation ; and the third to Hope, 
Cautiousness, and Love of Approbation. With 
respect to the precepts ; " All Scripture," the 
Christian is taught, " is profitable for doctrine, 



109 

for correction, for instruction in righteousness." 
It is thence that he draws his rules of conduct. 
One prominent precept is, the loving of those who 
show their love to God by obeying his commands : 
" By this shall all men know that ye are my dis- 
ciples, if ye have love one to another." This 
leads the Christian to seek out those, who evi- 
dence, by their obedience to the ordinances that 
Christ has appointed, and by a profession of faith 
in his name, their love to Him. His Benevolence 
is delighted in contemplating them, as being 
sharers, together with himself, in the Saviour's 
love. His Adhesiveness seizes them as objects 
of attachment, and, urged on by this faculty, he 
delights in meeting with them, upon every fa- 
vorable opportunity. Thus meeting, they form 
a Christian assembly ; and after attending to the 
precepts given for the regulation of themselves, 
they become a Christian Church, and meet to- 
gether on the first day of the week for breaking 
of bread (or the Lord's supper), for prayers, and 
other ordinances, appointed by Christ to be ob- 
served by his disciples. They do not " forsake 
the assembling of themselves together, and ex- 
horting one another." And, in obeying these pre- 
cepts, the Christian's faith, and consequently his 
10 



110 

means of resisting temptation, become strength- 
ened. The faculties of his mind become more 
habituated to the proper, but new, channel in 
which they run ; and the determination of pur- 
pose, in the pursuit of what is holy and acceptable 
in the sight of God, acquired by this communion 
of soul, is astonishing, and is dependant upon a 
fixed principle of Phrenology — that the faculties 
are strengthened by exercise. The faculty of 
Veneration finds daily more ease in running in 
its proper channel : the Christian traces the fea- 
tures of his God in every thing ; indeed, he reads 
his Father's name written on all creation. His 
Benevolence becomes more active, from an in- 
creased discovery of the love of Christ, and from 
the sacred influence of the love of the brother- 
hood ; and the instructions and exhortations, re- 
ceived in the church, are such, that he is built 
up in his most holy faith, and grows in the 
knowledge and love of God. Daily he obtains 
fresh victories over his enemy, and finds, that 
the attempt " to keep under his ichole body," and 
to bring it more and more into subjection to the' 
law of Christ, becomes continually more easy. 
Fresh discoveries are made, every day, of need 
of divine assistance ; of pardon for sins ; and, in 



Ill 

the contemplation of the fulness of Christ, the 
soul feels all its joy to exist, and its possessor 
rejoices evermore, on finding, that where sin hath 
abounded, grace doth much more abound. His 
Benevolence is necessarily excited more and 
more ; an enlarged desire to live to the glory of 
God is produced in the mind, and the soul in- 
creases in the abhorrence of what is evil, and in 
the love of what is good. 

And, in addition, let it be remarked, that the 
tie upon which the mutual love of Christians is 
founded, is one which depends on the moral 
sentiments i it is that of loving their Saviour. 
This one object is common to all, a possession 
peculiar to none ; and hence, no one can dis- 
regard his fellow-Christian, as inferior to him. 
Whereas, had the tie been founded upon riches, 
or any other extrinsic circumstance, then, it is 
evident, the rich or the noble, and the poor or the 
ignoble, could not have met ; and thus the proud 
and vain distinctions of society would have been 
for ever kept up. But Christianity regards all 
men as equal ; and hence, by its motives and 
precepts, cultivates the faculties constituting the 
human nature; faculties recognising mankind as 
brethren, and as objects worthy of love. Not 



112 

only are the moral sentiments, but the intellec- 
tual faculties, of the Christian cultivated. Rea- 
son is his ; and the Christian is exhorted to give 
to every one who asks, a reason of the hope that 
is in him ; and Paul exhorts Titus to use sound 
speech (or, as the original means, soiind reason), 
that he who is of the contrary part may be 
ashamed. 

The Christian stores his mind well with the 
word of God, which he finds to be the sword of 
the Spirit, by the aid of which alone he is able to 
withstand his enemies. He grows daily in grace, 
and in the knowledge of his Lord and Saviour 
Jesus Christ ; and the effect of such knowledge 
is, that he lives not to himself, but to God's 
glory. And should he happen to fall into any 
open sin, his brethren are at hand to deliver him, 
in the spirit of meekness. In this mutual sup- 
port we see the principles of our nature acted 
upon ; we behold that the effects intended to be 
produced by this communion of spirit are such 
as, according to this nature, must be. But this 
harmony between the preceptive part of Chris- 
tianity and our mental constitution, as established 
by Phrenology, will be more fully seen upon a 
particular examination of the individual precepts 



113 

of Christianity ; inasmuch as it will be found, 
that the faculties, demonstrated by the above sci- 
ence to exist, as primitive faculties, have precepts 
given for their proper direction, their existence 
being thus indirectly recognised by the Author 
of the Christian system. In this system we are 
taught, " not to look upon women to lust after 
them." This preceptive command teems with 
Benevolence ; and, if attended to, the eye of 
modesty, and the heart of the feeling, would not 
be hurt by the sight of those poor creatures, lost 
to all sense of shame, who parade our principal 
streets at noon-day. But Christianity has a posi- 
tive, as well as negative precept regarding the 
exercise of this faculty : u Love your wives," 
holds a place among its dicta ; and the apostle 
Paul commands, " Let the husband render to 
the wife due btncvolence, and likewise also the 
wife to the husband." 1 Cor. vii. 8. The chastity 
of expression, or the natural justice of the com- 
mand, it is difficult to say which to admire the 
more. And the same apostle gives another pre- 
ceptive command, " But if they cannot contain, 
let them marry ; for it is better to marry than to 
burn :" and this is given on the account, that 
" every man hath his proper gift of God, one after 
10* 



114 

this manner, and another after that." 1 Cor. vii. 
7, 9. The apostle thus recognises the fact, de- 
monstrated by Phrenology, that some men have 
the faculty of Amativeness more powerful than 
others, and gives advice to them thus endowed, 
so suited to their condition, and so minute as re- 
garding their happiness, that that mind must be 
but very partially enlightened, who cannot see in 
all this, the wisdom of a kind God, providing for 
the comfort of His creatures. 

The faculty of the love of Children, or Philo- 
progenitiveness, is directed by Christianity into 
proper channels. " And ye fathers, provoke not 
your children to wrath ; but bring them up in 
the nurture and admonition of the Lord." Ephes. 
vi. 4. The discipline which parents are to use 
towards their children is abundantly pointed out 
in the Proverbs. " Correct thy son, and he shall 
give thee rest ; yea, he shall give delight unto 
thy soul." Chap. xxix. 17. " Chasten thy son 
while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for 
his crying." xix. 18. " He that spareth his rod 
hateth his son ; but he that loveth him chasten- 
eth him betimes." xiii. 24. And this and other du- 
ties towards children are urged upon parents by 
the gracious promises, " Train up a child in the 



115 

way he should go, and when he is old he will not 
depart from it; " and " He shall give thee rest ; 
yea, he shall give delight to thy soul ;" whereas, 
on the want of attention, the following evil arises, 
" A child left to himself bringeth his mother to 
shame." And we are taught, moreover, " He 
that careth not for his own, especially those of his 
own house, hath denied the faith, and is worse 
than an infidel. 5 ' And those persons, who go 
about as busy bodies, tatlers, are pointedly con- 
demned, and commanded to stop at home, and 
mind the affairs of their oion house. 

These faculties and Adhesiveness are, as the 
Phrenologist knows, and as the other reader will 
perceive, from what has been said, engaged in 
concerns principally domestic. They are the 
links which tie the hearts of a family together. 
To prevent, however, these links being drawn 
too tight, and thereby rendering the laceration 
which must take place at death excessively vio- 
lent, Christianity adds, " He that loveth father 
or mother, wife or children, more than me, is not 
worthy of me." The Saviour is referred to. 
This supreme object keeps all others in their 
proper place ; and when it is remembered that 
Jesus Christ can never cease to be an object of 



116 

attachment, since neither life nor death, things 
present nor things to come, can separate the 
Christian from the love of his Lord ; how reason- 
able is it, that the strongest energies of Adhe- 
siveness should run out in that quarter ? The 
intellectual faculties and Moral Sentiments will 
give to their fellow, thus journeying, their ap- 
proving smile, their strengthening support. The 
one class, seeing the propriety ; the other, feeling 
the pleasantness of this direction. 

Christianity guides Combativeness into the 
proper channel by dictating, " Contend earnestly 
for the faith once delivered to the saints : " 
" Fight the good fight of faith." 

It points out the proper course to Destructive- 
ness, when saying " Be angry and sin not ;" and 
the existence of a natural disposition, leading to 
anger, is acknowledged by Jesus Christ, when 
he forbids any one to be angry with his brother 
" without cause." We see himself angry against 
the Scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy, 
styling them " vipers; " and, under the influence 
of this faculty, guided and impelled by a zeal for 
God according to knowledge, the Son of man 
drove the sellers and buyers, with a thong of cords, 
out of the tem r le, overturning, at the same time, 



117 

the tables of the money-changers, and stating, in 
the justification of his conduct, that they made 
his " Father's house a den of thieves. 5 ' 

Acquisitiveness is guided by Christianity ; 
which, though condemning the making haste to 
be rich, and commanding " Lay not up for your- 
selves treasures on earth, where moth and rust 
do corrupt, and thieves break through and steal,'' 
does not leave the faculty without a direction, 
inasmuch as it requires of its disciples to " Lay 
up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor 
rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break 
through and steal." At the same time, Chris- 
tianity does not tell its followers to neglect their 
worldly concerns ; no, but says, " Be not slothful 
in business ; fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." 
— "Let him labor, that he may have to give to 
him that needeth." Let the scholar compare this 
beautiful balancing of directions, with the direc- 
tions which philosophers have given to this fac- 
ulty. Some, he will know, taught their follow- 
ers to despise worldly honours and riches, without 
giving to the faculty, demonstrated by Phrenol- 
ogy to exist, any other direction; thus showing 
their ignorance of its existence : whereas the 
Bible, pointing out its channel, and condemning 



118 

its improper employment, recognises both the 
faculty and its liability to misdirection ; another 
coincidence between Phrenology and Chris- 
tianity. 

Secretiveness, another primitive faculty, has 
its proper course pointed out, when Christianity 
teaches its followers to be " wise as serpents, but 
harmless as doves." 

Self-esteem is recognised by the dignified 
character which the Christian is represented as 
possessing. He is a son of God ; an heir of 
glory ; he has a crown ; a priesthood ; is the 
temple of the living God ; and the apostle ap- 
peals to this faculty in endeavouring to convince 
the Corinthians of their wickedness, and of 
the necessity of avoiding fornication. " Know 
ye not that your bodies are the members of 
Christ ? Shall I then take the members of 
Christ, and make them the members of a harlot? 
By no means. What? know ye not that your 
body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, who is in 
you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your 
own ? 5; 1 Cor. vi. 15, 19. 

Love of Approbation, another primitive faculty, 
is recognised by Christianity. There is an in- 
junction, tf Strive that ye may excel ;" and the 



119 

Corinthian believers were told to " desire earn- 
estly the best gifts;" and of still higher direc- 
tions of this faculty mention will presently be 
made. 

Paul, moreover, speaking of the prospect of 
being with the Lord Jesus Christ, observes, 
" And for this reason, we make it the height of 
our ambition, that whether we be present or 
absent, we may be acceptable unto Him." 2 
Cor. v. 10. 

Firmness is recognised when the Christian is 
told to " remain steadfast in the faith;" to " hold 
fast that which is good." 

Thus we see, that every animal propensity, 
(for, regarding the few not noticed, applications 
from Scripture might be taken,) for the demon- 
stration of the existence of which Phrenology has 
been so much abused, has, in the Scriptures, a 
direction given. 

It is the same with our other faculties. Be- 
nevolence has the highest directions. The 
Christian is taught to do good unto all men ; to 
give offence to none. He is taught to love his 
neighbour as himself. And his doing good is 
not confined to temporal things, but extends to 
eternal objects. His desire to do good has its 



120 

highest direction in the wish of, and using the 
means for, the salvation of men. 

This preceptive part of the Christian system 
cannot be left, without a remark being made, on 
the way in which knowledge is communicated in 
the word of God. Any one reading the Bible 
with attention will perceive, that comparisons 
and parables are the most common forms of in- 
struction. Now, it is a fact established by Phre- 
nology, that the faculty of Comparison is one with 
which men are most abundantly endowed ; in- 
deed, if any faculty predominates in the mental 
constitution, it is this. And in the modes of in- 
struction adopted in tli€ Bible we see so striking 
a coincidence, the parabolical and the like, being 
those which abound, and which are the proper 
food of this faculty; a circumstance that cannot 
be attributed to chance, but must be ascribed to 
this, that the Author of the Christian system is 
one intimately acquainted with our nature. 
These comparisons, too, are taken from nature, 
not from art. They are drawn from objects 
known to all : the sun, the moon, the stars, the 
beasts, the winds, the lightnings, objects seen 
by all. Thus nature is the hand-maiden of 
grace, and is made to reflect, on the lovely face 
of her sister, her own brilliant light. 



121 

In general, it may be remarked of the precepts 
of Christianity, that they are of the widest extent, 
embracing every diversity of character, and per- 
sons in every situation ; — the rich, the poor, the 
ignorant, the learned, the noble, the ignoble. 
The system being of such general application, 
and pretending, as it does, to come from the 
Creator of all, it follows as a necessary conse- 
quence, that its precepts must be so suited to all, 
that none can put an unjust interpretation upon 
them. How is this to be done ? is an important 
inquiry : what suits one mind is not adapted to 
another. Christianity, in all the dignity of being 
a revelation from heaven, commands the proud- 
est, the noblest, the wisest, the mightiest, to bow 
down as little children, and receive, with the 
way-faring man, in the spirit of child-like hu- 
mility, its instructions. If a system did not 
come from God, this would be presumption ; but 
so ordering all to be abased, testifies to its divine 
origin, and immediately points out a distinction 
between it and all the systems of philosophy, 
the teachers of which had one set of doctrines 
for the rich, and another for the poor ; and by 
requiring all to hear as little children, who 
believe all that they hear, the difference of deci- 
11 



122 

sion arising from different constitution of mind 
is set aside. , 

Having thus considered this mean of enabling 
the Christian to resist the trials to which he will 
be exposed in passing through the world, the 
next will be pointed out. 

One of the most powerful means of stirring up 
men to run in the career of duty, is the setting 
an example. Look at Napoleon at the Bridge of 
Lodi ; Alexander at the city of Tyre. Example 
appeals to our Imitation, Self-esteem, and to 
Love of Approbation, which faculties excite the 
desire of doing what has been done. It seems 
natural to expect that the God of our nature 
would not, in a system coming from him, let this 
powerful motive to action be disregarded. No ; 
the Christian has a glorious example, leading 
him to aim at perfection. He sees in Jesus 
Christ his original, and all that he strives is to be 
made like Him. He beholds Him as the Cap- 
tain of his salvation, made perfect through suffer- 
ings. He holds the world as a theatre of war 
(carried on, indeed, on his part, with weapons of 
peace), on which are unfurled the banner of Kim 
he loves, and the flag of the evil one. Taking 
his place under the former, he is comforted by 



123 

the promise, that through Him he will be more 
than conqueror ; and beholds his own victory in 
that of his leader. Yes ; looking forward by 
Hope to a future day, the Christian beholds, in 
lively portraiture, the triumphs of his Lord ; he 
sees the enemies of his King following as cap- 
tives ; experiences the sweetness of the odors 
of his Priest's atoning blood ; * views the tri- 
umphal entry of his Captain into the heavenly 
Jerusalem ; beholds the gates of Zion open ; 
hears the resounding and glorious question, 
" Who is the King of Glory ? " and .joins in the 
choral reply, with innumerable spirits, " The 
Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in 
battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates ; even 
lift them up, ye everlasting doors ; and the King 
of Glory shall come in." Psalm xxiv. 8, 9. 
Thus the apostle felt, 2 Cor. ii. 14. 

* The meaning to be attached to this important, this 
grand, this too often ignorantly quoted phrase, will be 
understood by the reader, if he will undertake the delight- 
ful duty of investigating the sense in which blood is used 
throughout the Scriptures ; to aid him in this, it will be 
well to examine the figurative meaning of water and 
wine as used in the Scriptures. For the figurative mean- 
ing of water, see number viii. of the Christian Physician 
and Anthropological Magazine, published by E. Palmer, 
18, Paternoster Row. 



124 

The remaining means recognised in the word 
of God, as enabling the Christian to resist temp- 
tation, and to overcome the many and powerful 
enemies with whom he has to contend, consists 
of rewards and punishments. 

In a human government it is impossible to give 
virtue a positive reward. Vice, it is true, may 
be punished ; and punishment* is the only sanc- 
tion, a powerful one indeed, possessed by an 
earthly government. Individuals may be re- 
warded ; but the ribbon and the star await only 
a few. For whence are rewards to come but 
from a tax upon the community ? and whence 
the means to bestow a premium on every one 
who abstains from murder, theft, and other mis- 
deeds ? But the faculties recognise, as the God 
fitted for adoration, a Being in whom Omnipo- 
tence is a prominent feature. They acknowl- 
edge that in Him there exists a pow T er to reward 

* Punishment governs all mankind: punishment alone 
preserves them ; punishment wakes, while their guards 
are asleep. The wise consider punishment as the per- 
fection of justice. Punishment is an active ruler; he is 
true manager of public affairs; he is the dispenser of 
laws, and wise men call him the sponsor of all the four 
orders for the discharge of their several duties. — On the 
Military Class, Institutes of Menu, Vol. iii. p. 243. 



125 

all. In his very attribute of Omnipotence, they 
behold an exhaustless treasury to employ in re- 
warding those who do well, and in punishing 
them who do ill. In the Christian system God 
is represented as dispensing rewards and punish- 
ments ; and these are so many motives appealing 
to Love of Approbation, Acquisitiveness, Cau- 
tiousness, and Hope, faculties existent in our na- 
ture. To the first three the glorious prospect 
held forth in the Bible appeals with a mighty 
energy ; while the dismal futurities, that await 
those who disobey the commands of God, appeal 
to the last mentioned faculty with a peculiar 
force. And to point out the nature of the former 
prospects, images the most glorious are employed ; 
while, on the other hand, to show the terrors of 
the other condition, the most dreadful similitudes 
are used. Indeed, to exhibit the happiness of the 
good, every thing lovely, beauteous, and grand 
in nature and art is collected ; and to show the 
misery of the bad, every object the most horrible, 
terrific, and unpleasant is presented. 

These means, recognised in the Christian sys- 
tem, as necessary for the effectual aid of man, 
imply an excessive weakness on the part of him 
by whom they are needed. Indeed, this peculiar 
11* 



126 

state of human nature, proved by Phrenology, in 
demonstrating that man is, of necessity, evil, is 
one which Christianity most boldly avers, but 
against which all philosophy, except Phrenology, 
rises in opposition. Indeed, this humiliation of 
human nature philosophers have ever held to be 
opposed to the practice of what is good ; and 
they, in their wisdom, have thought fit to adopt 
another plan ; and have, in their pretended 
anxiety for the interests of mankind, talked 
loudly about the dignity of human nature. It is 
a delightful thing to see that phrenological sci- 
ence testifies to the accuracy of Christianity : in 
testifying, that while there is a dignity in the 
constitution of the human being, as compared 
with the constitution of other animals, it, at the 
same time, maintains, that those parts of man's 
constitution, in which he is common with the 
brutes, have gained a lamentable preponderance 
over those which, if preponderating, would make 
him dignified, by making him to be a man. 
Man is a dignified being, but man is undignified, 
because he is not man. Indeed, it is a matter 
continually pressed home on the Christian's 
mind, that he is weak : and on this account he 
is told to flee from temptation. He begs of God 



127 

to u lead him not into temptation ; " and is 
taught, that " as the branch cannot bear fruit of 
itself, except it abide in the vine/' no more can 
he, except he abide in Christ. Indeed, without 
continual faith in Christ, he can do nothing, so 
strong is the evil tendency of his nature; and 
though the apostle could do all things, as he 
himself says, yet it was " through Christ that 
strengthened him." 

Thus the means, which Christianity proffers, 
and such as will enable the Christian to come 
off more than a conqueror, have passed in re- 
view ; and the coincidences, which have been 
pointed out, between them and the faculties on 
which they act, existing in the mind, are so nu- 
merous, as to lead to the conviction, that both 
Christianity, and man's self, are the work of the 
same author. 

That this conclusion is just, and that the 
means are efficacious to the end, will be more 
fully established by contrasting these means with 
those of philosophy ; and, secondly, by some ex- 
amples of their efficacy. The philosopher sub- 
dues his meaner passions by the power of reason; 
of this notice has been taken. His Self-esteem 
is his chief defence against enormities of every 



128 

kind ; and, though he pretends to despise the 
approbation of his fellow-men, it is for this, in a 
great measure, that he is outwardly moral. He 
adores himself, a more corrupted object of wor- 
ship than the stocks and stones before which the 
savage bows. These two faculties, combined 
with his Moral Sentiments and his Intellect, 
have to resist the impetuous torrent of his animal 
propensities. A weak barrier indeed ! 

This method of inducing morality is one which 
man has devised ; and which, like all other hu- 
man institutions, must, from its very nature, be 
confined to a few ; because, by few, the opportu- 
nities of the philosopher are possessed. What 
must become of the poor, the ignorant, the hard- 
working class of society ? How must they sub- 
jugate their passions? They have no philosophy, 
no languages, no sciences, no opportunities of 
studying the fine arts. Some other plan must be 
for them. Christianity suits their case; and 
produces, in them, a higher morality than that 
possessed by any philosopher. It is by the be- 
lief of a testimony, which is attended with a love 
of God as its consequence. This is the founda- 
tion of real morality ; and, when we review the 
commencement of a holy life, and the means for 



129 

its successful prosecution, as exhibited in Chris- 
tianity, and consider the source of philosophical 
morality together with its effects, we see how the 
apostle might well ask, " Hath not God shown 
the wisdom of this world to be foolishness ? " 
Indeed, contrast the means of defence, belonging 
to the philosopher, with that of which the Chris- 
tian can boast. Weigh the relative powers of 
the coat of mail, formed by Self-esteem and Love 
of Approbation, in which the philosopher is in- 
cased, and of the " breastplate of faith and love," 
and of the " helmet, the hope of salvation." 
Estimate the resisting influence of the sayings 
of antiquity, with the word of God, " the sword 
of the Spirit." Consider whether it is better to 
have the armor of philosophy, or " the whole 
armor of God," in order to " be able to with- 
stand in the evil day ; " whether, " to have the 
loins girt about " with philosophy, or " with 
truth;" whether to have " on the breastplate of 
righteousness," or the targe of pride : whether, 
" to have the feet shod with the preparation of 
the gospel of peace," or with the Stoical doc- 
trines of philosophic speculation ; whether to use 
the language of " prayer," or the proud utter- 
ance of determined independence. Phrenology 



130 

says that we are weak, evilly-inclined creatures ; 
and, being such, approves of the Christian's ar- 
mor. 

The philosopher may, perhaps, boast that he 
has before him, as an object of imitation, Virtue. 
But what is this? She is a plaything to be 
looked upon in the days of prosperity ; but, in 
the days of adversity, Hope turns away from her 
with disgust. The Stoics may deny what they 
like ; but their boasts are insults upon human 
nature, and contradictions to common expe- 
rience. Their conduct belied their doctrines. 
Brutus, one of their noblest, cried in the ago- 
nies of death, that Virtue had forsaken him. 

In the illustration of the efficaciousness of 
the means, which Christianity recognises, a few 
examples may be given. 

One of the most striking circumstances con- 
nected with the promulgation of Christianity is, 
the meanness of its first preachers. Several of 
them were but fishermen ; men of low birth, 
having little education ; and, as such, generally 
very obsequious to the great. Yet such persons 
were boldly to state the truths of Christianity 
before kings and rulers. Among the number, 
Peter stands preeminent, not only for the con- 



131 

spicuous place which he holds, but for his for- 
wardness. No doubt he was a blunt, warm- 
hearted man ; meant to do all that he said, not 
aware of the difficulties id the way of putting 
his resolutions into execution. Under the in- 
fluence of this warm-heartedness, he asserted, 
that though all deserted his Master, he would 
not. But Jesus knew the nature of the fear of 
man, and seeing into futurity, warned him that 
he would deny him. Peter followed his Lord, 
who, after being betrayed by Judas, was taken 
before the Chief Priests. Peter attended: and, 
when warming himself by the fire, a person 
charged him with being one of Christ's disci- 
ples : he denied it. And so influenced was he 
by the love of the approbation of his fellow- 
men, that he even testified to his ignorance by 
an oath. Yet this same Peter, after being 
strengthened from above, and learning to put 
all his trust upon God, stood before the Jewish 
Sanhedrim, and, in spite of their threats, boldly 
stated that he was determined to preach the 
gospel ; adding, " whether it be right to obey 
God or men, judge ye ! " Here we see the 
same faculty, Love of Approbation, differently 
directed, and the effects are widely diverse. 



132 

Indeed, I know no change more striking ; when 
directed to man, Peter lied for fear of a menial 
servant ; when directed to God, all the terrors 
of the Jewish Sanhedrim could not move him. 
Peter was Peter with his faculties misdirected, 
in the first case ; in the second, was Peter with 
his faculties in proper direction. 

Who has ever equalled Paul ? What suffer- 
ings he endured for the sake of Christ : and the 
almost miraculous labors that he performed in 
testifying to the truth in Christ Jesus ; and the 
glory he took to himself in being so honored, 
as to be permitted to suffer in defence of the 
truths he stated, are acknowledged by him to 
have sprung from faith. Indeed, in writing to 
the Hebrews, he gives a long list of those who 
had, through faith, subdued kingdoms, wrought 
righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the 
mouth of lions, quenched the violence of fire, 
escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness 
were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned 
to flight the armies of the aliens, women received 
their dead raised to life again ; and others were 
tortured, not accepting deliverance ; that they 
might obtain a better resurrection. Heb, xi. 



133 

Many might be the instances adduced from 
those living in later times, but this is not neces- 
sary. The best reference is the part mentioned 
above. But if any wish others, I would refer 
them to Biographia Evangelica, by Myddleton, 
and to the History of the Waldenses, by Jones. 

In coming to a conclusion, it is trusted, that 
the sixth proposition is completely proved ; and 
that, so strict and so exact is the coincidence 
between Phrenology and Christianity, as to lead 
every unbiassed mind to conclude, that a series 
of evidences to the Christian system has been 
made out, quite satisfactory of the general state- 
ment, that the Bible is the word of God. 

If some, however, do not think this, they 
must have the candor to allow that the views, 
introduced throughout these pages, have tended 
to show how science can be applied in the elu- 
cidation of Scripture ; and to impress on the 
mind, that the only person, " who overcometh 
the world," is he who believes that Jesus is the 
Son of God. 1 John v. 5. 

Another important truth which this investiga- 
tion has tended to show is, that adoration, unless 
guided by the intellect, and given birth to by 
the heart, is vain and unacceptable in the sight 
12 



134 

of God. And it will, it is hoped, be seen, that 
that excitement of devotional feeling, produced 
by a solemn aisle, by grand music, or by the 
fervid eloquence of a preacher, is no more true 
devotion,* than are the hideous noises with 
which the inhabitants of another quarter of the 
world welcome the visit of an eclipse. Indeed, 
if the reader, on rising from the perusal of this 
work, should be determined to cast aside all 
confidence in frames and feelings ; to call no 
man master on earth; and to read the word of 
Truth for himself, the writer will not have la- 
bored in vain. No ; but will look forward in 
confidential delight, that the person so stirred 
up, will, from beholding " as in a glass the 
glory of the Lord, be changed into the same 
image, from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of 
the Lord." 2 Cor. iii. 18. 

To the Christian who may peruse these pages, 
the author begs to point out how much is de- 
pendant upon each one exhibiting the influence 
of that belief which he professes. The gospel, 
if believed, must, as has been shown, produce 

* May not these, however, give important aid to the 
sentiments ? 



135 

the effects stated. If it does not, then it may 
with certainty be concluded, that the life is not 
by faith. From the blinding influence of es- 
tablished religions, it happens that many assume 
the name of Christians, who do not believe in 
Jesus Christ ; they believe another gospel, or 
else do not understand the one to which they 
have assented; for, in the parable of the sower, 
only those brought forth fruit that understood 
the word preached. This may anticipate an 
objection, drawn from the deficiencies, and even 
flagrant wickedness, of professed Christians, that 
the gospel does not produce the effects stated. 
The followers of Christ should be living epistles, 
known and read by all men. 

Theophrastus remarks, " that the whole aim 
and credit of philosophy consisted in obtaining 
a happy life." This may be the aim of philoso- 
phy, but it is the credit of Christianity to induce 
and secure happiness. Indeed, the belief of the 
gospel, the first step in Christianity, brings man 
into reconciliation with God, the Father of 
mercies, and the God of all consolation. And 
thus secures him joy, both in life and in death. 

To conclude : Christians are reminded, that 
their great Exemplar desired his contempora- 



136 

ries, if they would not credit his testimony, to 
believe him " for the very works' sake." And 
to the person not a Christian, a kind voice 
would hint, that as every truth testifies to Chris- 
tianity being divine, it becomes him to study 
and to attend to this revelation from God. 



THE END, 



LIBRARY 




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